A chest X-ray makes an image of the heart, lungs, airways, main blood vessels and bones of the chest and spine using a small amount of radiation. It can be used to help identify the cause of pain, persistent cough or breathlessness. X-rays do not require any preparation, but the patient will need to remove anything metallic (e.g. a belt, jewellery and glasses). The patient will be asked to stand against the image plate and hold their breath for a few seconds while the image is taken. The whole process takes approximately five minutes.