A new toolkit aims to help radiology departments improve their services by allowing them to process map their reporting processes and identify priority areas for improvement.
Launched by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the kit provides solutions and templates to support a local project plan designed to streamline the reporting service in a sustainable way.
“Radiology departments are currently facing unprecedented demands to provide a high quality and timely reporting service in the context of rapidly increasing demand, multiple local and national drivers to reduce waits, and on a background of financial contraction throughout the NHS,” said Dr Robin Evans, radiology lead at the NHS Institute.
“There has never been a more important time to look closely at reporting processes with the aim of removing waste delays and repetition, ensuring technology is fully utilised, staff skills are used most effectively, and results are rapidly distributed to referrers for decision making.”
Developed with the help of radiology departments and front line staff, the toolkit is being sent free of charge to all radiology departments in England.
It aims to:
• Help you rapidly understand your current reporting processes;
• Help you understand how culture can influence your service;
• Stimulate discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of your service;
• Highlight any differences in perception between staff groups and patients;
• Question your current practices;
• Help you identify areas for improvement;
• Provide you with solutions and tools for these improvements.
Audrey Paterson, SoR director of professional policy, and Richard Evans, SoR CEO, will be attending the toolkit launch events being held on 23 and 24 March in London and Manchester. Further details on the toolkit will appear in the next TopTalk.
