Primary care access to diagnostics: a paradigm shift.

There is increasing medico-political impetus for the provision of direct access imaging services to primary care. This is likely to have fundamental effects on the way that imaging services are organised and provided, and radiologists need to be aware of the paradigm shift that is being promoted. This commentary summarises some of the key issues arising, and has been written to complement a recent conference organised by the British Institute of Radiology.