NHS to receive £250m in bid for more diagnostics tech as patient backlogs grow
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The National Health Service (NHS) is set to receive a £248m injection in a bid to modernise its diagnostics as pandemic-induced patient backlogs grow.
The government funds, which will be invested over the next year, will see NHS labs to share patient results, tests and scans quicker between different hospitals and doctors, cutting the time it takes for a diagnosis.
It forms part of a plan to speed up routine treatments and shrink swelling waiting lists.
Imaging specialists will also be able to review scans or x-rays remotely, 24 hours a day, without an imaging lab.
The investment will play a “big role” in getting patients faster results, and allowing healthcare professionals to get their job done more easily – “reducing unnecessary administrative burden and making every taxpayer’s pound count”, health secretary Sajid Javid said.
“Getting a faster diagnosis for a health condition is the first step to getting more people the treatment they need and earlier on, and our funding will help ensure our NHS has access to the latest digital technology to drive up efficiency.”
An increasing number of healthcare bosses have warned of the colder months ahead, where there is typically a rise in need for care, outside of a pandemic.
NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis warned that the NHS is “facing a winter like no other with rising cases of Covid-19 and flu as well as record demand for emergency services”.
“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.”