NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG: Direct Access Magnetic Resonance Imaging Service

The NHS supports the need to develop improved access to diagnostic tests as part of the drive to reduce waiting times and improve choice options for patients. The need to develop community based diagnostic services is supported by the Royal College of Radiologists and Royal College of General Practitioners as part of a service strategy to improve access to tests and ensure these tests are delivered at the right stage of the patient care pathway. The overarching aims of the service are:

To ensure patients receive the right test at the right time and in the most clinically appropriate local setting;

To ensure diagnostic testing is integrated across pathways of care, that the report and/or images follows the patient and that there is no unnecessary duplication of investigation;

To enable patients and referring clinicians to access a choice of provision according to Patient choice, clinical need and relevant care pathway; and

To ensure diagnostic tests are appropriate, necessary, clinically correct, of high quality, with timely access and reporting.

The aim of the service is to aid early diagnostics and avoid the need for unnecessary referral to secondary care, or to support the shift of activity in to a primary care setting. It is important that the use of MRI is governed by evidence-based guidelines for determining the diagnostic examination to optimize imaging of certain conditions and reduce radiation dose where possible.

The population to be covered is the current populations of, Greater Huddersfield and Calderdale CCGs.

The Provider must aim to provide an excellent Patient experience during all parts of the process - to include the examination and the administrative services. In order to measure this, Providers should have in place robust mechanisms for collecting Patient feedback using approaches that reflect the diverse nature of their Patient population. This should include as a minimum, a Patient satisfaction survey, and one real time feedback mechanism. There must be a sound process for receiving and dealing with suggestions, compliments and complaints.