RADIOLOGY
Getting it right first time in radiology
Improving the experience of patients should be at the heart of work to increase capacity in radiology services within the constraints of COVID-19, according to a new national report on the specialty from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme.
A recent GIRFT report – written by Dr. Katharine Halliday, a leading radiologist from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust – examines ways of meeting the ever-increasing demand on radiology units in England at the same time as shaping a better service for those who use it. Radiology services are vital to almost
every specialty in the NHS to ensure patients receive high-quality, effective and timely treatment. The NHS carries out almost 120,000 radiological procedures in England every day and the number is increasing by 1.3m annually. The fastest growth is in MRI and CT scans, where demand outstripped capacity even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has since resulted in longer waits and further limited imaging capacity. Professor Sir Mike Richards’ review of diagnostic services Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal – commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement – called for an urgent increase in diagnostic provision, including the creation of community diagnostic hubs, or ‘one-stop shops’ away from hospitals.
This aligns with recommendations in the GIRFT report, which identifies ways of maximising existing capacity and planning service expansion. During the pandemic, Trusts adapted quickly to enable separate scanning for patients with proven or suspected coronavirus. This separation can now be developed to create sites for ‘hot’ urgent work and ‘cold’ pre-booked appointments to help prevent last-minute cancellations and allow patients to receive all the imaging they need in a single visit, close to their homes. The report makes 20 headline recommendations, with more than 50 supporting actions to be undertaken. Short- term and ongoing GIRFT recommendations include: l The creation of imaging networks, in line
MARCH 2021
with NHSE/I’s target of 18 nation-wide networks by 2023.
l Imaging community stakeholders to continue ongoing work to review NHS coding for diagnostic and interventional radiology and end multiple NHS data submissions.
l National targets for time from imaging test- to-report, to be progressed by Trusts and NHSE/I over the next six months.
Recommendations Medium and long-term recommendations include: l National protocols for imaging common conditions, to be progressed by GIRFT, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the Society of Radiographers (SoR) over the next 18 months.
l Standard definitions and expected productivity for radiologists, to be progressed by the RCR over the next 18 months.
l Reporting standards for radiographers and radiology trainees, to be progressed by the RCR and SoR over the next 18 months.
l NHSE/I to create real-time demand management tools for diagnostic and interventional workflows, over the next two years.
The report also calls on Trusts to review facilities and processes to ensure that patients are safe and are treated with dignity and respect at all times. It adds that reporting should be carried out expeditiously and “at the point at which it will have maximum impact on the patient’s care”. Other patient-centred measures outlined in the report include: l Online booking and extended hours for outpatient appointments to ensure imaging can be arranged to suit the patient, helping to reduce non-attendance.
l Dedicated day case units or beds for patients having interventional radiology
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©Sylvain Sonnet
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