Advisory DI21/06: Standard 1.5: Equipment Servicing - Clarification of the required evidence for an equipment service provider’s qualifications and licences | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme Standards: Advisory details

Item	Details
Advisory number	DI21/06
Version number	1.0
Trim number	D21-45038
Publication date	7 December 2021
Replaces	Advisory Statement A18/05 version 2.0 published May 2020
Compliance with this advisory	Mandatory for Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (DIAS) accrediting agencies and diagnostic imaging practices.
Information in this advisory applies to	All DIAS accrediting agencies Imaging Practices
Key relationship	2016 DIAS Standard 1.5: Equipment Servicing Standard
Attachment	Not applicable
Notes	Not applicable
Responsible officer	Margaret Banks Director, National Standards Phone: 1800 304 056 Email: AdviceCentre@safetyandquality.gov.au
To be reviewed	December 2023

Purpose

Issue

Part of Standard 1.5 requires diagnostic imaging practices to provide accrediting agencies with copies of equipment service providers’ qualifications, licences, and training relevant to the equipment being serviced.

Imaging practices have reported difficulty obtaining copies of this information from equipment servicing providers, and equipment servicing providers have expressed concern about the resource and time implications of providing the requested information.

Requirements

To address these concerns, the interpretation of a ‘record of the service provider’ has been broadened. A letter of attestation can be provided as an alternative to an equipment service provider’s individual qualifications, licences, and training records.

A letter of attestation must confirm the equipment service provider is appropriately trained in the manufacturers’ recommended servicing procedures and, where applicable, is licenced to service and repair any ionising radiation equipment.

A letter of attestation must:

Be on business letterhead
Include the manufacturer and model of the equipment to be serviced and where applicable, the radiation safety licencing details of each equipment service provider
State that the requisite qualifications, licencing, and training records have been sighted by the attestation letter signatory and can be produced on request for the diagnostic imaging practice and/or their accrediting agency.
Be signed and dated by an individual with the authority¹ to attest to the information provided on behalf of the equipment service provider.

A template letter of attestation is in the User Guide for Diagnostic Imaging Practices applying for Accreditation. Where a diagnostic imaging practice elects to collect the required evidence using attestation letters, the template letter of attestation should be provided to the equipment service providers well in advance of their accreditation application submission date.

An incomplete letter will not meet the evidence requirements for Standard 1.5.

Equipment service providers that provide false or inaccurate information in the attestation letters are legally responsible for any repercussion arising from those claims.

Diagnostic imaging practices who employ their own equipment service providers can also use attestation letters to provide the required evidence. A template, specifically for this purpose, is in the User Guide for Diagnostic Imaging Practices applying for Accreditation.

¹A senior manager with delegated authority from the owners of the equipment service agency

For more information