EU delays MRI scanner restrictions
26 October 2007
The European Commission has u-turned on a controversial directive which
would have restricted the use of MRI scanners.
The EU directive had threatened to severely restrict their use by banning
new applications and limiting staff operating times but has now been delayed
for four years by the European Commission, allowing reviews of the risks
involved. (See
European Directive on radiation exposure will ban MRI scans)
Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, Vice President of the Employment and
Social Affairs Committee, had campaigned hard for a delay after outcries
from leading scientists and experts in the UK. She today expressed relief at
the decision:
"The Commission's u-turn is a victory for common sense. Health and safety
legislation must be based on the latest medical and scientific advice, not
non-existent risks and the egos of Brussels bureaucrats.
“The medical profession’s evidence has always been against restricting
MRI scanner use, which is why I campaigned to have them left out of the
directive in the first place.
"These machines are vital life-savers and have been used safely for 25
years. Limiting their use would have been a backward step in patient care.
"The guidelines imposed by the directive are unnecessary and
overcautious. MRI scanners pose no known health risks, and medical staff are
already protected under the Medical Devices Directive. I hope a four-year
delay will give experts the time to prove this.”