Chris Evans, Research, Innovation and Improvement lead
James Gough, Head of Quality Improvement
Kylie Davies, Quality Improvement Manager
Ben Scott, Improvement Lead Falls
Lisa Ruffley-Fuller, Head of Quality and Governance in Radiology,
Helen Hughes, Professional Service Manager Radiology, Fujifilm UK
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
The urgent and emergency care system has witnessed significant increase in demand spanning several decades. Less than 10% of emergency service users experience life-threatening conditions however, they consist primarily of frail and elderly fallers with long-term sequelae of complex co-morbidities. These patients now experience significant delays in ambulance response and, once ‘in the system’, may face lengthy delays in secondary care before returning to community living.
As much as two in every five patients accessing Emergency Department (ED) services receive an imaging examination. Accordingly, the aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of an X-ray Urgent Response Team, delivered to Welsh communities by the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.
The project objectives include:
- Evaluating suitability of equipment and quality of x-ray films in the pre-hospital setting.
- Determining risk and governance implications, from a medical physics perspective, that reflect safety and suitability of mobile x-ray imaging within Ambulance Service and community contexts.
- Developing a portable x-ray deployment model that details staff skills and competency requirements; booking system processes; ICT infrastructure and integration with local healthcare systems.
Evaluating the impact of portable x-ray provision on:
- Patient transport requests.
- Project cost-benefit parameters.
- Patient safety and quality of care.
- ED referral rates for x-ray diagnostics.
- Elective/outpatient services.
- Added value and the patient experience.
- Added value and staff experience.
