To put it bluntly the Society of Radiographers are a bunch of scare mongerers! Tesco, via their Clubcard, and in conjunction with a company called Lifescan, are offering vouchers that can be put towards the cost of having a CT scan. The Society of Radiographers believe this to be a danger to Tesco's customers. Stating that the low-levels of radiation are detrimental to people's health and that this promotion will create hordes of 'worried-well' people cluttering up doctors' waiting rooms. Tesco's customers should be grateful that their shop of choice thinks highly of them and offers them this deal.
The reasoning that the SoR uses for wanting this offer ended is weak and unfounded. The radiation levels are entirely safe, otherwise the company wouldn't be allowed to use the equipment it does. If people find that they've something wrong from this, and it's caught early enough then the treatment costs are lowered. Of course, having a scan would mean that many within the SoR wouldn't have an ill patient to scan in the future. Perhaps this competition concerns them. They should be encouraging this service, twith some warning about the low levels of radiation, rather than seeking its prohibition.
It's certain that Tesco would want to keep its customers alive for as long as possible and offering them the chance of an 'MOT', as they term it, is a visionary way of ensuring customer loyalty and longevity. It also saves the taxpayer money by discovering illnesses that can be treated a lot cheaper if found early. Scans for all, should be Tescos next venture, rather than books for schools.
