NHS to receive £250m to digitise diagnostics care

A spokesperson for DHSC said the investment will reduce the administrative burden on NHS staff so they can analyse more tests, checks and scans while also reducing the turnaround time from a patient taking a test to receiving a diagnosis and then starting treatment.

Diagnostics services across the NHS will be digitalised using the latest technology to improve the way tests, images and results can be shared across computer systems in hospitals, labs and GP surgeries.

It means the nurses, doctors and other clinicians caring for a patient can access these results more quickly and easily, even if they are working from different settings.

The new technology will allow imaging specialists to review high-res images remotely without needing to be in an imaging lab, 24 hours a day.

The funding will also provide a new tool to help GPs and other clinicians choose the most suitable scan for their patient based on the patient’s symptoms and medical history.

This will cut inappropriate requests made to radiology departments, saving radiologists’ time and ensuring patients get the right scans at the right time.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “The NHS is facing a winter like no other with rising cases of Covid and flu as well as record demand for emergency services, all while we continue to deliver the biggest vaccination programme in health service history, including rolling out booster jabs for the most vulnerable.

“However, NHS staff are making efficient use of additional funding and following the recent rollout of new diagnostic centres, the number of patients waiting for a diagnostic test is falling for the first time in a year, meaning more people are getting the checks they need and if required, are able to begin treatment sooner.”

Diagnostic tests are used to confirm or rule out health conditions and disease and over 1.5bn diagnostic tests are carried out in England every year.

They are crucial to providing early diagnosis, screening and monitoring of long-term conditions and are often the first step to understanding the right care and treatment for a patient. Recovering diagnostics services is vital to recovering the overall NHS backlog and reducing waiting times for cancer services and other treatments.