This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
‘One stop shops’ in the community for life saving checks
The NHS is set to radically overhaul the way MRI, CT and other diagnostic services are delivered for patients.
A report for NHS England recommends that community diagnostic hubs or ‘one stop shops’ should be created across the country, away from hospitals, so that patients can receive life-saving checks close to their homes.
Professor Sir Mike Richards was commissioned by NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens to review diagnostic services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. In his report, Richards says that these new services would be ‘covid free’, with diagnostic checks in A&E separated from tests taken ahead of routine procedures.
They could be set up in free space on the high street or retail parks, with such an approach consider to be quicker and safe for patients, so anyone who is in hospital should be able to get a scan on the day. The report also suggests that access to blood tests in the community should also be expanded so that people can give samples close to their homes, at least six days a week, without having to go to hospital.
Other recommendations include: tests for emergency and elective diagnostics should be separate, to reduce hold-ups for patients; CT scanning capacity should be doubled over the next five years to meet increasing demand and to match other developed countries; tests for heart and lung diseases need to be enhanced given the link to coronavirus; more staff need to be trained to undertake screening colonoscopies; and the imaging workforce needs to be expanded as soon as possible with 2,000 additional radiologists and 4,000 radiographers as well as other support staff.
Richards said: “The pandemic has brought into sharper focus the need to overhaul the way our diagnostic services are delivered. While these changes will take time and investment in facilities and more staff, it is the right moment to seize the opportunities to assist recovery and renewal of the NHS. Not only will these changes make services more accessible and convenient for patients but they will help improve outcomes for patients with cancer and other serious conditions.”
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