Medical Procedures and Sedation Policy
Our practice has decided not to prescribe Diazepam or any sedatives for MRI scans or other medical procedures, including dental procedures.
In the past, some patients may have received a sedative like Diazepam from their GP to help with anxiety during such procedures. However, this practice is no longer considered safe.
MRI scans are typically requested by hospital clinicians, not by your GP practice. If you feel too anxious about an MRI scan, please speak with the team that requested it to discuss your options, as this is not the responsibility of the practice.
There are several reasons we do not prescribe sedatives for medical procedures:
- GPs are not trained to provide the correct level of sedation for procedures or scans. Too little sedation won’t be helpful, and too much can make you excessively sleepy or affect your breathing, potentially causing the procedure to be canceled.
- Although Diazepam typically makes people sleepy, it can, in rare cases, cause aggression or agitation instead.
- Scans and hospital procedures are sometimes delayed, and it is the responsibility of the medical team performing the procedure to manage sedation, ensuring you are relaxed at the right time.
- The Royal College of Radiologists provides strict guidelines for safe sedation during scans. It is unsafe for us to prescribe sedatives without being able to monitor you closely. If complications arise during a scan after taking a sedative prescribed by us, this could be dangerous.
If you are concerned about anxiety during a scan, please contact the department that requested the scan or the Radiology department. They are responsible for managing sedation if clinically necessary.
For procedures like cataract surgery, biopsy or dental work, it is the responsibility of the surgeon, specialist or dentist to prescribe sedation if needed. Any requests to the practice for sedation for such procedures will be declined.