Heartbeat: Rad Ready to improve patient journey in imaging
July 9, 2019
The imaging department is launching a new initiative across the Trust called Rad Ready.
Rad Ready essentially means that our patients are fully prepared for their imaging test so that on arrival within the department they can go straight into the scanner or x-ray room without delay.
The initiative has been developed to support the rapid turnaround times that imaging has pledged to deliver:
| Patient type | Rad Ready time pledge |
| Emergency department | 1 hour |
| In patient | 24 hours |
| 2 week wait | 5 days |
| Outpatient/GP urgent | 5 days |
| Outpatient/GP non-urgent | 28 days |
Fiona Rotherham, Deputy Group Director of Operations – Imaging, believes that to achieve these pledges, it’s essential that our patients are Rad Ready to avoid any delays prior to the imaging taking place.
She said “CT has been identified by the imaging team as the modality that would benefit the most by patients being Rad Ready and as such a pre-scan checklist has been designed to support ward teams in ensuring that their patients are fully prepared prior to arriving in the CT department.”
The checklist will ensure that the patient:
- Has had the required fluid intake
- Has had the required oral contrast
- Has an appropriate and functioning cannula in situ
- Has had any required pain relief and/or sedation
- Has an accompanying interpreter as required.
Our improvement team will be visiting all ward areas to familiarise colleagues with the Rad Ready concept and the pre-scan checklist. In addition the radiographers and assistants within CT will be on hand to answer queries as they arise.
Fiona added “The use of the pre-scan checklist will be regularly audited to assess effectiveness and I am certain Rad Ready will help improve turnaround times, make better use of available scan time and ultimately provide faster diagnoses”.