Improving access to care

The trusts recognised the urgent need for a strategy to unlock their combined capacity, especially given NHS England's ambitious goal of delivering 17 million diagnostic appointments by 2025. Gateshead and Newcastle chose to innovate with their existing technology rather than invest in entirely new systems.

The trusts approached us to work in tandem as their tech partner to develop an integrated solution that connected their respective Radiology Information Systems (RIS), Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), and Electronic Patient Records (EPR). This data architecture enabled real-time visibility and coordination of diagnostic resources across the two trusts, allowing for faster and more efficient care delivery.

Matching patient records

A core challenge for this initiative was ensuring that patient records from Newcastle could be accurately matched and synchronised with Gateshead’s records. Since Gateshead’s RIS was the main booking system used at the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) located at the MetroCentre, it was essential to ensure that Newcastle patients were correctly registered in Gateshead’s Patient Administration System (PAS). This integration enabled patients to receive timely care without delays caused by mismatched or incomplete records.

We addressed this challenge by building a sophisticated Patient Matching Component, which facilitated communication between the two trusts and ensured accurate synchronisation of patient data. The integration engine worked by matching patients based on identifiers such as NHS numbers and demographic data. If a match was found, the patient’s order was sent through to Gateshead’s RIS with their Gateshead Medical Record Number (MRN). If no match was found, the system registered the patient in Gateshead’s PAS, assigned them a new MRN, and then sent the order to RIS.

Ensuring data accuracy and patient safety

To ensure the highest levels of data accuracy and patient safety, the patient matching process included a manual review step for partial matches. For example, if a patient’s NHS number, gender, and birth date matched but their surname or postcode did not, the case would be flagged for manual review. This allowed administrators to compare the Newcastle and Gateshead records side by side, confirming or rejecting the match. This extra level of verification was crucial in preventing misidentification and ensuring patient safety throughout the process.

Developing a sophisticated integration engine

In addition to the patient matching, our integration engine enabled bidirectional data flow between the two trusts. For example, when a patient was scheduled or had arrived at the CDC, Gateshead’s RIS would notify Newcastle of the patient’s status.

To do this, the system used a persisted SQL database containing identifiers like the Gateshead MRN, Newcastle MRN, and NHS number. This ensured that the correct identifiers were always used in communications between the two trusts, maintaining data consistency and improving patient care coordination.

The technical solution supported multiple diagnostic services, including Radiology, Cardiology, Spirometry, and ECG (both 12-lead and Holter). These services were integrated into the CDC through the new Patient Matching Component, along with bespoke order communications interfaces. This streamlined the diagnostic process and reduced the administrative burden on staff, making the system more efficient and effective.

Anticipated benefits

The benefits of this system are anticipated to be significant. The automation of patient registration and matching reduces the need for manual intervention, saving an estimated 25-40% in time and effort for administrative tasks. The reduction in manual tasks allows staff to be reallocated to more valuable duties, increasing overall productivity. The system also improves patient safety by reducing the risk of misidentification or data entry errors, which could have had serious consequences for patient care. The use of the PDS lookup and manual review process ensured that records were accurately matched, minimising potential errors and ensuring the right care was provided to the right patient.

Moreover, the system’s scalability means that it can be adopted by other NHS trusts with minimal additional support. This scalable solution provides a blueprint for other organisations looking to improve their diagnostic services, ensuring that the benefits realised by Gateshead and Newcastle can be extended across the NHS. The project’s success has already attracted attention, and the technical solution developed by Answer Digital is now being blueprinted for use by other NHS organisations, further expanding its impact.

Increasing efficiencies

Another key aspect of the project’s success was the improvement in patient access to diagnostic services. The CDC is now located at the MetroCentre, a strategic location with excellent public transport links. This made it easier for patients, especially those who previously faced difficulties travelling to appointments, to access the care they needed. As a result, the Trusts saw a reduction in DNA (Did Not Attend) rates, improving both the efficiency of the diagnostic services and patient outcomes.