PRESCRIPTION delays will now be reduced after therapeutic radiographers have trained to become non-medical prescribers.

Non-medical prescribing allows certain named groups of non-medical health professionals, such as nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and radiographers, to prescribe medications and drugs.

It removes the delay associated with identifying a hospital doctor or GP to prescribe for the patient.

The group of therapeutic radiographers where among the first in the UK to qualify this year.

The course is run by Oxford Brookes University and trainees learn for one day a week for the first term of the academic year, followed by 90 hours of supervised practice and 150 hours of face-to-face learning with a designated medical practitioner.

Once qualified, the radiographer can diagnose their patient’s condition, identify a potential treatment and advise the patient on the risks, benefits and outcomes of the medication before prescribing it.

Trust lead for nurse and AHP prescribing Jan Keenan said: “This is a really exciting development for our patients: allowing nurses and allied health professionals to prescribe not only offers fast access to treatment, it also reduces the workload of our hospital registrars and GPs.

“Another benefit is that a nurse will often know their patient very well, having cared for them for some time, so they will have a thorough knowledge of their condition and how they respond to treatment.”