A pragmatic approach to dosimetric audit in radiotherapy.

In 1993 a dosimetric audit programme was initiated by physicists from a group of hospitals in the South West UK with the aim of detecting dosimetric errors greater than 5%. The scope of this programme was developed to cover megavoltage and kilovoltage photons as well as electrons. Procedures operated within each department were also audited in situations where they could influence dosimetry. No dose discrepancies greater than 5% were detected in the course of the audits, though differences did correlate with complexity in some situations. These measurements provide an ongoing assurance that dosimetry within the participating centres is well controlled and provides a firm foundation for clinical practice.