Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have opened a newly integrated diagnostic services at the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) located in the MetroCentre.
This ambitious project, delivered in collaboration with a health technology specialist, aims to streamline diagnostic services, reduce waiting times, and deliver faster, more equitable care to patients in some of the UK's most socially deprived areas with the poorest health outcomes.
By integrating their respective systems and resources, Gateshead and Newcastle have optimised their combined capacity to meet NHS England’s goal of delivering 17 million diagnostic appointments by 2025. Instead of investing in entirely new systems, the trusts worked with the partner to create an innovative solution that connects their Radiology Information Systems (RIS), Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), and Electronic Patient Records (EPR). This integration allows real-time visibility and coordination of diagnostic resources, enabling faster, more efficient care delivery.
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Head of Digital Solutions, David Thompson, commented:
“We knew that we needed to bring the two trusts together to deliver an effective CDC. By combining – and effectively democratising – the diagnostic capacity of both organisations, more patients will be able to be seen more quickly, speeding up the diagnosis of conditions like cancer, COPD and heart disease, as well as enabling monitoring and observations throughout treatment.”
One of the key challenges of this project was ensuring that patient records from Newcastle could be accurately matched and synchronised with Gateshead’s records. Gateshead’s RIS, the main booking system for the newly opened CDC, needed to integrate seamlessly with Newcastle’s systems. A sophisticated Patient Matching Component was then developed, to accurately synchronises patient data, reducing the risk of misidentification and allowing patients to access care quickly. The integration engine matches patients based on NHS numbers and demographic details, ensuring smooth communication between the two trusts.
To maintain the highest levels of patient safety and data accuracy, a manual review process has been introduced for partial matches, and a Patient Demographic Service (PDS) lookup has been integrated to further validate NHS numbers. This robust system ensures accurate identification and prevents errors that could delay patient care.
The integration allows for bidirectional data flow between the trusts, ensuring real-time updates on patient status and seamless coordination of diagnostic services such as radiology, cardiology, spirometry, and ECG. This streamlines workflows, reducing administrative burdens and improving overall efficiency. The new system is anticipated to provide a 25-40% reduction in administrative tasks, enabling staff to focus on more critical duties. Patient safety will also be enhanced through the automation of data validation, reducing the risk of errors, and ensuring accurate record matching.
Additionally, the strategic location of the CDC is expected to reduce DNA (Did Not Attend) rates, ensuring more patients receive the care they need on time and improving health outcomes for those in the region.
This integrated approach marks a significant step forward in delivering timely, efficient, and equitable healthcare services to the communities served by Gateshead and Newcastle NHS Trusts.
Image credit: iStock
