The radiology department of Delfzicht hospital, part of Ommelander Ziekenhuis Groep, is the first in the Netherlands to receive the TNO-Certificate (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) in radiation. This has put the hospital at the highest possible rung on the ladder of radiation safety in the Netherlands. Now patients can be sure that X-ray equipment in Delfzicht is designed to meet high standards in radiation protection. By constantly controlling the quality of the equipment, the highest quality level of the resulting images at the lowest possible radiation exposure can be provided.

In addition to the concern for patient safety, it was one of the main objectives of Delfzicht hospital to reduce the discomfort of the patients as well as the strain on radiographers by reducing procedure times, which has been achieved by reorganising the administrative machinery. Urgent cases can be referred for same day treatment and all other routine consultations can be accomodated within three working days at the radiology department. Standard X-rays are done on a walk-in basis with a waiting time of about 15 minutes on average – waitlists are history, the patient comfort and convenience have been greatly improved. The cooperation of Delfzicht hospital and Siemens was the main reason for the successfull implementation of this plan.

In recent years it has been noticed within the healthcare sector that higher quality standards and warrants to certify these standards have become more and more important to patients. The TNO certificate in radiation protection is the highest achievable in this section. The Ommelander Ziekenhuis Groep is the first hospital in the Netherlands to receive the certificate for all the installed radiology equipment at the Delfzicht site. The hospital and Siemens, supplier of the equipment installed in Delfzicht, entered firm agreements with the TNO for weekly or fortnightly inspections to monitor radiation safety and the quality of the equipment and X-rays. Even the smallest deviation from the norm can be measured and thus be corrected immediately. Due to these facts, patients of Delfzicht hospital can rely on high safety standards, a dependable treatment, and very short procedure times.