Revolutionising the treatment of cancer
Mark Barnes, Consultant Radiologist, The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust explains;
Why PET/CT?
"PET/CT has revolutionised how we treat certain types of cancer. By showing us things that other procedures aren’t able to, it gives us important new and additional information.”
“PET/CT is now a standard part of the patient pathway for lymphoma, and lung and oesophageal cancer, and now plays an important role in telling us whether a patient has
responded to treatment or relapsed.”
The InHealth Service
“The level of service delivered by InHealth is good, and any issues have been addressed and improvements made. The service is now being fine-tuned.”
“PET/CT is complicated, and there are many areas in the process where things can go wrong. Many of these are unavoidable due to the nature of the procedure, where we are pushing technology to its limits.”
“Where issues have arisen, we have a very good support network with InHealth, the manufacturer and our own Estates Department sorting things out and getting us up and running again quickly.”
“I’ve found InHealth to be responsive to feedback, and I have a good relationship with their people. They are now working with us to develop the service and expand the use of PET/CT in the region.”
“Although we are currently up to capacity, I am confident that demand
for PET/CT will increase in the future and InHealth are already addressing this issue.”
Referral and Reporting
“The new referral form is much better, and I like the fact that we send in a referral by fax and don’t have to do anything else. This means we can free up valuable resources for other tasks.”
“The reporting is quick, although we still have some issues getting the images back if our clinicians want to see them.”
Consultant Benefits
“The NHS is constantly under pressure to bring down waiting times and speed up patient treatment – and this is a particularly important and sensitive issue with cancer. More rapid imaging helps keep patients within the pathway and means that their treatment starts quicker.”
Patient Benefits
“Patients are getting a very good service.”
“With the new InHealth mobile facility we are now able to offer a weekly rather than fortnightly service. For patients this means the scan is done within a few days of referral, and they can have it where they want as the mobile unit is at different locations in the region on a two-week rota.”
“This ensures that the patient’s treatment starts quicker, is the most appropriate for their condition and avoids any unnecessary procedures.”
