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Original poster

To expect to accompany daughter to x-ray?

51 replies

secretfreckle · 18/12/2018 19:28

Yesterday my daughter (13) had a routine x-ray at a small hospital near where we live. She has been getting leg pain and we were referred to a children's physio who said she should have an x-ray of her pelvis before he starts any treatment, just to make sure everything is OK.
When we were called through, I stood up to go with her and the nurse said "oh, she's just getting gowned up, you can stay there".
My daughter came out about 15 mins later and had had the x-ray. They had even showed her the x-ray, as my daughter said one side of her hip looked a lot different to the other and had asked her to take her pants off, as some weird shapes were showing up and the radiographer thought she had 'bling' on her pants that was showing up on the x-ray!
Of course now I am worried about the weird shapes and if I had been there, could have seen it for myself and asked questions. I appreciate I would not have been allowed in the actual room itself because of the radiation. Can anyone shed any light on this?! (Just to make it clear, I am not suggesting that anything untoward took place, just wondering why I was not allowed to go with her)

OP posts:
Littlehotdog · 18/12/2018 20:06

Hello! I'm a radiographer :-)

Past the age of 12 we are advised (by our trust and others I have worked in) to ask children to come in alone if they feel confident. As mentioned above we ask all females aged 12-55 if there is any chance of pregnancy and this is not allowed to be done in front of parents. This isn't because we are being secretive but more because we are more likely to get the truth about sexual activity from them without mum or dad there! It's also much less awkward for the young girl.

We do let parents in the room with children if they aren't happy to come in alone and people who aren't having an X-ray can come in to stand behind the screen if child isn't happy. However we like to minimise this as much as possible for a host of reasons including radiation protection and also some other silly things (think parents taking pictures of X-rays while we are with patient etc although not saying you'd do this!).

If you are in the uk then what usually happens is that I (as a radiographer) take the X-ray and then we have a look for anything that is deemed to be obviously wrong or anything that needs urgent treatment. All UK radiographers are trained in basic recognition of X-rays (I.e. to spot fractures or common pathology). If i think something needs urgent treatment (think broken hip!) I would refer to a&e and speak to a doctor there about my findings. If there is something I think isn't urgent but could do with being treated by GP quickly then I can put the X-ray for urgent report. Otherwise the image is reported as normal by a reporting radiographer probably the next day (depending on work list!).

Again this is assuming you were referred via your GP so apologies if not but the process is always similar :-)

If you are worried then please ring the department and the radiology team leader will be happy to reassure you. I think because your daughter seemed happy and for the reasons above the radiographer deemed it acceptable for her to be seen alone. Feel free to ask me anything radiography related and I'll try to help!

Littlehotdog · 18/12/2018 20:06

Phew that's long ! Sorry!

Blueberriesandchocolate · 18/12/2018 20:08

Oh also don't worry about funny shapes! Sometimes clothing (think buttons, thick material etc) show up on the X-ray but they never look like bone etc :-)

brizzledrizzle · 18/12/2018 20:12

I've been in with my son when he's been that age so I reckon it's the pregnancy question.

Walkingthroughawall · 18/12/2018 20:19

Did she want you there? If she was happy to go in alone then it's completely reasonable for her to have done so.

The radiographer was trying to get the best image possible so that the radiologist could interpret it correctly. Clothes can show up on x-rays and the 'leg holes' of her knickers could have been showing up on the x-ray.

Worieddd · 18/12/2018 20:21

Flowerpot2005

Many clinics are walk in & xrays are reported there & then. Only more specific, in-depth xrays are by appointment.

This is incorrect.
The only times xrays are reported immediately are when there is a hot reporting service (lead by reporting radiographers in the Emergency Department) or other very urgent trauma type examinations.

Other clinic/GP/physio referrals that are non urgent usually take upto 14 days for a formal report. This is somebody (reporting Radiographer or radiologist) that sits in front of a screen and formally reports it. This then goes back to the referrer.
The discussion that took place in the X-ray room were not the results.

As somebody else mentioned - the discussion that took place was most likely to ascertain the artefact visualised on the X-ray.

As an aside it now more commonplace not to have parents in the room unless absolutely necessary - with digital imaging (xrays on a computer rather than film like the olden days) as these computers are usually behind the lead screen - sometimes parents/relatives look at the xrays which they can not comprehend but assume they know what they are looking at. Or even start taking photos of them etc.

Original poster
secretfreckle · 18/12/2018 20:25

Thanks for all the replies!
They did ask her the pregnancy question, so I think that must have been it.
They did show her the x-ray, but I'm not sure if that was when the radiographer thought she had 'bling' on her pants or afterwards, but my daughter said both femurs looked very different. She described the ball and socket joint.
The gp said she does have one leg slightly longer than the other when we saw him. That's why he referred us to physio and the physio referred us to get an x-ray, as they are not sure if it's her leg or the way her pelvis is.

OP posts:
Willow1992 · 18/12/2018 20:30

Could they have asked her if she wanted her mum to come in with her, and she said no? If she is Gillick competent I would have expected them to have to ask, the same as if she were an adult. I have had people ask if I want so-and-so to come in, rather than just beckoning us both in. Your DD could have left that out so as not to offend you.

I really get why you would want to be there but on the other hand I do think it's right that competent teenagers are able to make medical decisions independently from their parents.

Flowerpot2005 · 18/12/2018 20:34

worried

I'm not wrong, this is what happens in my trust, we have several clinics throughout the week where what I said happens. Fact.

I'm sure you'll insist I'm wrong however, we were referred from primary care for an in-depth X-ray. We were given a number of clinic options for attending WITHOUT an app on time to. We went the next day, seen & left within an hour of our arriving with a full report & CD for the primary care referrer. Clearly you have a trust with alternative operational approaches. Please do not insist people are wrong when you clearly have no idea of how other trusts radiology departments operate.

Flowerpot2005 · 18/12/2018 20:36

I went in with my daughter, was not discouraged at any point, stayed in the room, at the invitation of the radiographer & the result discussed with me & DD at the end.

Worieddd · 18/12/2018 20:39

Flowerpot2005

I’m pretty impressed with your Trust (would love to know which one as a Radiology manager I don’t know any that provide on the spot reporting for non urgent examinations particularly with the critical shortage or radiologists. PM me)

However you mentioned results in this thread and it was quite clearly a verbal chat about the imaging rather than results.

Now chill your beans

Flowerpot2005 · 18/12/2018 20:57

worriedd

Now that would be telling. However, as a radiology manager, I'd have thought that would be information you could easily retrieve. I work for my trust & whilst not in radiology, can easily access info on other trusts should I need it. I'm rather sceptical as to your claims given you can't do the same in your role 😉

Worieddd · 18/12/2018 21:07

Flowerpot2005

Right. Ok.

(You’re a bit of a knob head aren’t you?)

Flowerpot2005 · 18/12/2018 21:30

worriedd

No not really, just used to dealing with ego maniacs & imposters who insist they know it all. Our Radiology Manager is a true professional & respectful at all times. She wouldn't dream of responding as you do.

ChristmasCheer18 · 24/12/2018 23:37

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Sewrainbow · 25/12/2018 00:09

Was going to respond but little hot dog has explained most comprehensively. I would have said the same being a radiographer too Smile

Littlehotdog · 25/12/2018 00:15

@Sewrainbow waves 🙋🏽‍♀️

donajimena · 25/12/2018 00:16

I wasn't allowed in with my 12 year old son so definitely not a pregnancy question in our case. I've just asked him if he was queried about his injury and he's told me no. I'm guessing its a case of less people in quicker out?

Littlehotdog · 25/12/2018 00:20

@donajimena mostly because of radiation protection and also because you wouldn't believe some of the things parents do while we are with patients! I've had people taking photos of the screen while my back is turned etc! Also children's anatomical bony structures are still forming so to the untrained eye can look very odd! So sometimes people see what they think is a break and decide there is one (when there isn't) or start worrying about what they've seen. 😊

MistletoeAndSherry · 25/12/2018 00:24

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Littlehotdog · 25/12/2018 00:28

Don't really want to get into a debate about it all (mainly as it's Christmas and all that!) but it's wrong for loads of reasons, data protection being one! I've had cases of people taking a picture of the X-ray, deciding it looks fine and leaving with their child before even going back for the result!

If anyone ever asks me about their X-ray (and I do this with kids anyway) I'm happy to show them and to give them a brief anatomy lesson ;-) if anyone asks for an image I explain our trust protocol and that yes they can have a copy of the image but it has to be done via a form I can give them :-)

MistletoeAndSherry · 25/12/2018 00:32

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frankiegoestobirmingham · 25/12/2018 00:38

@MistletoeAndSherry yes I think sadly lots of people are becoming disillusioned with the nhs :-( I can hand on heart say the colleagues I have now and have had over the last 10 years would all go the extra mile for their patients but we are often restricted by red tape :-( anyway don't want to be all doom and gloom!!

Merry Christmas! Hope you have a lovely day :-)

Maryjoyce · 25/12/2018 00:49

This is how bizarre some things can be now.
I mislaid one of my daughters medical numbers and asked at our doctors practice for it and was told no and that she was 12 and had to give her permission for me to have it.
Only needed it to fill in the form for the cancer injection
Didn’t bother to argue I just looked it up online at home from a past email.
But it shows that maybe this is why you weren’t invited along

Mari50 · 25/12/2018 00:53

My 8 yr old had an X-ray done when she had a crush injury to her hand, I was asked to stay in the waiting room. Didn’t bother me at all. Although it did make me wonder because as a clinician I would never take a child alone into my consulting room- for my own protection