Contact details

Medical Photography 0118 322 7349

Email: medical.photography@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

Address

Level 1, North Block
Royal Berkshire Hospital
Craven Road
Reading
Berkshire RG1 5AN

Medical Photography

Medical Photography provides professional imaging services to support patient care, treatment planning, and medical education.

Medical photography is an important part of clinical documentation and can be used for various reasons, including:

  • Medical records - providing an accurate visual record of a diagnosis for comparison in future appointments.
  • Monitoring and treatment planning - capturing images of a condition over time to track its progression and response to treatment.
  • Surgical and procedural planning - helping clinicians prepare for surgery or medical procedures.
  • Referrals and specialist consultations - allowing specialists to assess your condition without requiring an additional physical examination.
  • Education and training - in some cases, with your consent, images may be used for medical teaching or published in medical journals to advance healthcare knowledge.

Medical photographs are taken with great care to ensure your dignity and privacy. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with the photographer before your session.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes, your medical photography appointment should be booked in advance. Please contact the department to schedule your appointment.

If you would prefer a photographer of the same gender as yourself, please let us know. We have both male and female photographers in the team. If it is not possible to meet your request, we can offer a chaperone to stay with you in the studio or reschedule the photographs for another day.

Preparing for your appointment

If your clinician has referred you for medical photography, they will provide a medical photography consent form and ask you to sign it before attending.

What should I expect?

When you arrive at the department, you will be booked in, and your personal details will be checked. You will then be taken into the studio, where the clinical photographer will explain which photographs are required.

Depending on the area of the body being photographed, you may need to remove jewellery and/or make-up. In some cases, you may also need to remove certain clothing. Every effort is made to maintain patient dignity, but it is important to capture an accurate image of your clinical condition.

The photographer will guide you on how to sit or stand to ensure the correct medical records are obtained.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time or would like a chaperone present, please inform the photographer.

Please note:

  • Flash studio lighting will be used.
  • Mirrors and retractors may be used to assist with imaging inside the mouth.
  • Hair bands may be used to keep hair away from the face.
What should I bring?
  • Your medical photography consent form provided by your clinician.
  • If your face is being photographed, please tie back hair.
  • If your skin is being photographed, please remove any make-up on the area before your appointment.
  • Any jewellery on the area being photographed will need to be removed.