Guide · checked October 2026
Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI) explained
The Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI) is the College of Radiographers and Royal College of Radiologists' standard for imaging services; since July 2024 the Colleges run their own peer-review assessment that awards a QSI Quality Mark, after UKAS's agreement to deliver QSI accreditation ended in June 2024.
Who owns it and who assesses it
The RCR says QSI has been jointly owned by the College of Radiographers and the RCR since 2009. UKAS announced in July 2023 that its agreement with the Colleges would end in June 2024. The Colleges' own scheme has run since 1 July 2024 on a three-year cycle, with a fast-track route for services already accredited by UKAS.
UKAS continues to accredit imaging services against BS 70000, and its imaging services page says CQC will consider the accreditation status of diagnostic services in its assessments.
What QSI 2026 covers
QSI 2026 version 1.0 is organised into numbered items. A few that matter for quality and safety leads:
- XR-210: REALMs kept separate from governance and duty of candour, with reporting radiographers and sonographers taking part.
- XR-604: image quality improvements shown through image quality and dose audits, monitoring of reject analysis, diagnostic acceptability and interpretation, and regular local DRL audits.
- XR-706: an imaging reporting policy covering peer review, second opinions and where double reporting is clinically indicated.
- XR-707: a protocol for alerting referrers, acknowledgement, escalation and out-of-hours alerts.
Preparing
Assessment is by trained peers and lay assessors. The evidence that tends to take longest is the routine kind: audits repeated over time, records of acting on results, and minutes that show learning, not blame. Start collecting it before you apply.
Common misunderstandings
- UKAS no longer delivers QSI accreditation; it accredits against BS 70000.
- The owner is the College of Radiographers with the RCR.
- A Quality Mark is not a one-off: the scheme runs on a three-year cycle.
Where RadQA fits
Several QSI items need evidence RadQA produces: peer review records and discrepancy rates, report QA for critical-finding communication, image QA findings such as markers, exposure, collimation and clipped anatomy, and turnaround against your targets, all exportable. RadQA does not prepare a QSI submission or assess you against the standard.
RadQA is a pilot. It is a quality-assurance assistant, not a diagnostic device, and it does not replace radiologist reporting or clinical judgement.
Questions
Does UKAS still accredit QSI?
No. UKAS's agreement with the Colleges ended in June 2024; the Colleges now run the QSI Quality Mark scheme, and UKAS accredits imaging services against BS 70000.
How long does a QSI Quality Mark last?
The RCR describes the scheme as running on a three-year cycle.
Sources
Official pages, checked October 2026. Guidance changes, so check the current version before you rely on it.
General information for healthcare managers and clinical teams, checked October 2026. It is not legal, regulatory or clinical advice; follow the current official guidance and your organisation's own policies. No patient data is used in these examples. RadQA is a quality-assurance assistant for imaging departments. It is not a diagnostic device and does not replace radiologist reporting or clinical judgement. Validate against your own systems and local governance before production use.