Shorter scan wait (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Shorter scan wait

12:12pm Wednesday 3rd January 2007 in News By Pete Lammas

PATIENTS living locally and across the county who are waiting for scans and X-rays are benefitting from shorter waiting times.

The news comes after the radiology team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust hit demanding national waiting time targets more than three months ahead of schedule.

The Trust's Radiology Directorate has announced it had met all the national Choice of Scan' targets for waiting lists for patients at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Kidderminster, and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals.

The target was for all patients waiting for CT, MRI, ultrasound, DEXA or nuclear medicine scans to have their examination within 13 weeks by the end of March 2007.

The Directorate, which carries out more than 300,000 examinations a year for GPs and hospital consultants, has met this target more than three months ahead of the national deadline. The majority of patients already wait many weeks less than the maximum.

Dr Umesh Udeshi, clinical director for radiology, said: "This is a fantastic achievement which will benefit the many patients who are referred for these examinations to be carried out every year.

"It has been possible only because of the team work and dedication of all the staff within radiology on all of our sites."

The Radiology Directorate has been able to achieve this despite providing examinations for some 10,000 more patients this year than last year. It has also had to contribute to the Trust requirement to reduce costs and reduce the number of staff it employs.

The Trust's chief executive, John Rostill, said: "The great work done by the radiology team is good news for patients and for the Trust."