- Radiographers denounce X-rays, MRI for migrant age checks
- New legislation to determine migrant age faces opposition
- Society of Radiographers warns of NHS strain and ethical concerns
X-rays and MRIs used to determine the age of migrants are inaccurate, unethical, and run the risk of prolonging NHS wait times, according to radiographers.
The implementation of novel legislation in January authorised the Home Office to ascertain the age of a migrant below 16 by analysing MRI scans of the quadriceps and collarbones and X-rays of the teeth and wrists.
When she announced plans for the new checks in 2022, the then-Home Secretary Priti Patel referred to the practice of adult men “masquerading as children” as an “appalling abuse of our system.”
She cautioned that the men were gaining access to children’s services and institutions through “deception and deceit,” putting legitimate students “at risk.”
However, delegates at the Society of Radiographers’ UK Council annual conference in Leeds will be asked to oppose the legislation today. The council will argue that the risk associated with performing these scans on migrants is significantly greater than the risk of an adult being treated as a juvenile.
Radiologists commonly perform X-rays, MRI scans, and CT scans as part of the diagnostic process. However, the National Health Service (NHS) experiences prolonged wait times and treatment setbacks due to inadequate staffing and scanner resources.
Controversy surrounds the use of the equipment to evaluate migrants; as detractors assert that the results are erroneous, the procedure is unethical and possibly illegal.
The British Dental Association, among others, has criticised the examinations, referring to them as “pseudoscience.”
Richard Evans, chief executive officer of the Society of Radiographers, stated, “It is completely unjustifiable to use machine time to determine the age of migrants when hundreds of thousands of individuals are waiting unacceptably long times for MRI scans.”
It is imperative that no radiographer feels obligated to perform these examinations during clinical time.
The manifesto of the Society of Radiographers urges all political parties to ensure patient and staff safety in all facets of radiography.
“This new legislation threatens to jeopardise the welfare of other NHS patients and the security of the migrants undergoing scanning.”
It is merely a publicity-generating measure.” Moral objections and valid legal, ethical, and health considerations are warranted.
Mr. Evans elaborates on the checks’ potential futility: “An X-ray of a child’s wrist can accurately determine their age until they reach puberty.” Following puberty, its accuracy becomes improbable.
Migrants 17 to 25 years old, as this is when wisdom teeth typically erupt, may be examined with a dental X-ray to ascertain whether or not they have done so.
However, Mr. Evans reiterated that this method is not foolproof, stating, “Some individuals develop their wisdom teeth considerably later than others.” However, in some individuals, the wisdom teeth never erupt.
Even minimal ionising radiation is prohibited in the United Kingdom without the patient’s consent.
According to Mr. Evans, the Society of Radiographers opposes scanning migrants because it diminishes the significance of ionising radiation exposure, fails to adequately investigate consent concerns, and lacks confidence in the implementation of adequate legal regulations governing radiation exposure.
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Although age assessment via MRI scans does not involve ionising radiation, concerns regarding assent persist.
In MRI environments, the utilisation of extremely high magnetic fields carries with it additional dangers.
For instance, a person carrying metal in their body could sustain an injury or cause damage to the scanning apparatus if scanned.
In two-thirds of age dispute cases, the Home Office has previously stated that the individual alleged to be a child is older than eighteen.
We are introducing scientific assessments, such as x-rays and MRIs, and strengthening the age assessment process through the National Age Assessment Board, according to a Home Office spokesperson.
The Age Estimation Science Advisory Committee has provided scientific evidence supporting our methods, and scientific age assessments are already prevalent in most of Europe.
