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Community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs could be missing out on latest MedTech
A report by the Medical Technology Group has called for a full review into the performance of surgical hubs and diagnostic centres to end regional variation in their performance and work through the backlog of 7.5 million patients faster. As of September 2023, NHS England had 94
operational elective surgical hubs, which have delivered 10,253 elective procedures and 41,067 outpatient appointments. This is alongside 152 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) that have successfully delivered 4.2 million tests, checks and scans ranging across 61 individual diagnostic procedures. Following an investigation into the 42 Integrated Care Systems responsible for managing these centres, the Medical Technology Group argues that better data collection, best practice sharing, clinical oversight and support for medical technologies could improve their performance and avoid regional variation. In its investigation the MTG found:
l 44% of ICSs that responded indicated they actively review their surgical hubs to ensure efficiency
l 38% indicated that decisions over the creation of local surgical hubs were led by clinical decision making
l Just seven (20%) of ICSs that responded stated that they have attempted to learn from best practice in other ICSs when planning for their surgical hubs
l Just two ICSs properly consulted their patient populations on the procedures and equipment used within their surgical hubs
l 72% of CDCs involved the public or patients in some capacity in their establishment
l Four ICSs (14%) used organisations such as Healthwatch to provide patient engagement and consultation. Four (14%) did not consult patients at all.
In its report, ‘Tackling the Elective Backlog’, the Medical Technology Group calls for a comprehensive review of performance, success, failures, and cost-effectiveness to ensure that the latest medical technology and best practice is being utilised in every CDC and surgical hub across the country. Chair of the MTG, Barbara Harpham, said: “Since the pandemic, community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs have emerged as a vital part of our NHS, easing pressure on hospitals and helping to work through the backlog of elective care. “Their potential to go further by utilising the
latest medical technology and innovation should now be a priority. At present, a sizable number of ICSs could be doing more to review their performance in line with best practice, using the latest technology, and adopting innovative new practices found in high performance regions of the NHS. We must ensure that we have a full and accurate understanding of such a pivotal and increasingly important part of our NHS with regards to performance, progress and innovation. Every patient who uses these services should have access to the best possible medical technology and
innovation currently being used on the NHS.” The recommendations from the report include:
l The Government and NHS England should commit to a comprehensive review into the performance, success, failures and cost- effectiveness of surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres.
l This review should include an assessment of the effectiveness of medical technologies within surgical hubs and CDCs, with associated recommendations for the improvement and development of their use, and appropriate long term funding to ensure their success.
l The inclusion and involvement of patients in the future establishment of surgical hubs and CDCs should be mandated to ensure they meet the needs of local populations.
l The Government and NHS England should ensure that appropriate medical technologies are at the heart of the efforts to tackle the backlog. It is vital that they are utilised within surgical hubs and CDCs to improve outcomes for patients and create efficiencies for the NHS.
www.mtg.org.uk/campaigns/spotlight-reports Major milestone reached in lung cancer diagnosis
The quest to eliminate lung cancer as a global cause of death has taken a positive step forward with a one million-milestone met of a five-million lung health Artificial Intelligence (AI) commitment. This new proactive initiative casts a wider net
to currently invisible and unprofiled global patient populations, innovating beyond traditional lung cancer screening profiles such as age and smoking history. The commitment was made at the 2022 World
Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. It saw AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical
company, join the WEF EDISON Alliance, a partnership between commercial and non-profit sectors, to improve the lives of people through digital inclusion. The power of AI to screen for lung cancer risk
was adopted as part of the AstraZeneca EDISON Alliance health goals via a partnership with
Qure.ai, a global leader in medical imaging AI. This novel approach is a fundamental component
of AstraZeneca’s
A.Catalyst Network, a network of solutioners to improve patient outcomes, and the Lung Ambition Alliance, a global coalition with the
bold ambition to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death. AI-powered chest X-ray analysis for the incidental detection of high-risk nodules that can be indicative of lung cancer has been rolled-out across resource constrained regions of the UK, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Prashant Warier, Co-Founder and CEO of Qure.
ai states: “Touching a million human lives with the positive
power of healthcare AI is just the beginning. This milestone is testament to digital health innovation and public private partnerships.”
January 2024 I
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