Quality assurance in radiotherapy in Germany (as far as distinctions may occur compared to Britain)

The distinction between radiation protection and quality assurance in radiotherapy plays an important role. Together with the chronology of legal regulations for both subjects they are discussed subsequently for better understanding of the German position. A survey on actual technical regulations for safety and quality in radiotherapy by DIN-IEC and DIN standards is given with special attention to the connection of legal and technical regulations, the structure of the DIN committee for radiology and of its standards. Concepts of requirements and test methods for quality assurance are demonstrated for medical electron accelerators, especially the significance of performance values, the reliability of test methods, the volume of test conditions, the interpretation of test results, and the responsibility for test executions.