Service receives record numbers of referrals
The NHS PET/CT South contract is now in its 17th month of operation and July 2009 saw the highest volume of patients scanned since the scheme started – 656 patients were scanned and reported within the month. This was just over 100% of the volume predicted by the contract, although utilisation varied across the SHAs. The planned growth of referrals is expected to generate over 8200 patient scans per year by the end of the second full year of the contract.
Our focus over the last year has been on patient care; scan appointment availability, scan and report quality and turning the results (both images and report) around in the timing required by the contract.
The mobile scanning units have been modified over the last year to make them more accessible and comfortable to all and with winter approaching we are looking at ways to ensure that patients and their relatives have the best possible experience in a mobile diagnostic service.
Currently we provide a mobile service in 12 locations across the south of England.
