Publication - Advice and guidance
Coronavirus (COVID-19): supporting elective care – clinical prioritisation of imaging examinations
The framework provides a standardised national process for the clinical prioritisation of patients who have been referred for a diagnostic imaging test.
Imaging clinical prioritisation – ultrasound categories
Priority 1
| USOC | Cancer pathway | Urgent | |
| Urology | Testicular lump | Visible haematuria Hydronephrosis |
|
| ENT | Neck lump with red flag suspicion of malignancy Lesion biopsy |
Urgent neck lump | |
| MSK | Assessment or biopsy of lump suspicious for malignancy | Trauma requiring urgent surgery eg finger tendon, Aspiration for infection if not possible clinically |
|
| GI/General | Targeted liver biopsy | Targeted liver biopsy | DVT |
| Gynae | Ovarian/uterine mass | Postmenopausal bleeding | |
| Vascular | Carotid Doppler for stroke |
Priority 2
| Routine | Surveillance | |
| Urology | Renal stones Non visible haematuria |
RCC |
| ENT | New thyroid lumps (low index of suspicion) Thyroid pathology follow up parathyroid |
|
| MSK | Chronic trauma/cuff tears in surgical candidates Severe synovitis which will alter management |
|
| GI/General | Non targeted liver biopsy US abdo - ? gallstones Deranged LFTs? cause AAA |
HCC Liver US in melanoma |
| Gynae | Bloating and normal Ca- 125 Ovarian cyst follow up |
|
| Vascular | Aneurysm follow up |
Priority 3
| Non-urgent non-cancer | |
| Urology | Chronic pelvic/testicular pain |
| ENT | Lipoma Sebaceous cyst Thyroglossal duct cyst |
| MSK | Hernia Bakers cyst Lipoma Non suspicious lumps Nerve assessment tendinopathy |
| GI/General | GB polyp surveillance |
| Gynae | PCOS Ovaries for infertility |
| Vascular | Varicose vein assessment / vein aping for routine procedures. |
Contact
Waiting Times Team: WTIP@gov.scot
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