Unborn babies are more susceptible than adults to radiation so please tell the radiographer before the examination if there is any possibility that you are pregnant.

You will be asked questions about pregnancy if you are a female of child bearing age.

Patients are often worried about being exposed to radiation, however it is important to put the risks into perspective. The risk to your health from not having the required examination is likely to be much greater than any risk from the radiation itself.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is fortunate to have state of the art equipment and computerised processing. This enables the radiographer to keep your dose as low as is reasonably possible.

We are all exposed to radiation every day of our lives and cannot avoid it — this is background radiation. It comes from the ground, building materials, the air we breathe, the food we eat and from outer space: cosmic rays. Each medical x-ray examination will give you an additional dose on top of this natural background level. The increase in dose depends on the type and number of examinations you have.

If you are concerned about the possible risks from having an x-ray, ask your doctor how the information gained will help to improve your treatment.