Summary
Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is designed to improve the quality of care within the NHS by reducing unwarranted variations. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings.
Content
In recent years there has been an ongoing growth in demand for radiology services, especially MRI and CT. This pattern of growth is likely to continue as radiology is being used earlier and more widely in diagnostic pathways. This report recommends several measures aimed at maximising existing capacity and expanding services, including:
- reducing outpatient non-attendance by ensuring imaging can be arranged to suit the patient, through online booking and extended hours.
- opening day case units or beds for patients having interventional radiology procedures, to help prevent delays and hospital-acquired infections, and free up beds elsewhere.
- delivering faster results by increasing the amount of reporting carried out at home by radiologists and reporting radiographers.
- reducing the stress of delays by using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support scheduling and prioritisation.
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