Whipps Cross University Hospital

5th April 2007

Going digital has revolutionised Radiology, impacted waiting times and saved money across Whipps Cross University Hospital.

The Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS), accessible through the hospital’s password-protected intranet, has provided a digital catalogue of a large percentage of x-rays since July 2002.

In the last 12 months, upgrades to the system have allowed Radiology to include CT (computed tomography – three-dimensional scans) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging – uses magnetic and radio waves instead of x-rays to examine tissue) scans meaning that anyone in the Trust, including the Trust’s community clinics such as Silverthorn and Forest Medical Centre, are able to access patient’s scans instantly.

Radiographer, Rob Griffiths, spoke of the difference the digital database has made to the Trust: “Films cost an average of £2 per sheet so already, just by removing the need for manual films, we are saving the Trust a huge amount of money.

“Typically, clerks have to pull out 400 films a day for various clinics across the hospital – this has dramatically reduced their workload and means that medical staff can access the images from any PC across the Trust; and if they want to discuss a scan with a member of staff at the other end of the hospital or on another site, both clinicians can be looking at the image at the same time.

The system has also had a substantial impact on waiting times for scans such as routine pelvic, CT and MRI.

The new state-of-the-art MRI scanner, brought into the Trust in December 2005, has enabled more complex scans to be carried out on site rather than sending patients to other Trusts and waiting for the results.

The new scanner also means that less invasive procedures are required meaning patients can come in and go home the same day instead of staying overnight for more complicated procedures.

Rob added: “The reduction in waiting times has been pretty significant and the main benefit is that patients are not having to travel to lots of different sites throughout the course of their treatment.

“And having everything on one site means that the process is much quicker – the hospital doesn’t have to wait for the results and the patient makes less trips to the hospital.”

Rob commended Mags Farley, formerly Assistant General Manager for Clinical Support Services, who did a lot of work to develop PACS, MRI and reducing waiting times before she left the Trust.  Richard Rance, PACS/RIS Manager, is now co-ordinating PACS.

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