OUR BLOG

MIP invests in new technology to improve waiting lists and patient experience

Overview

At Medical Imaging Partnership we are committed to improving the patient experience and reducing waiting lists. This is why we’ve invested significantly in specialist software for our new MRI scanner and existing scanner in Crowborough, as it speeds up the scanning process without losing any of the scan quality.

Many people will know that having an MRI scan can be an uncomfortable experience and that is especially so for people who are anxious, claustrophobic or in a good deal of pain.

So, when we purchased a new MRI scanner, we invested in some innovative new software for the scanner as well as upgrading the software at one of our existing busy scanners sited at the Horder Centre in Crowborough. The software, produced by Phillips is called Compressed SENSE and it speeds up the scanning process without losing any of the scan quality that we take extremely seriously and are renowned for.

The breakthrough acceleration technique means that scans can be shortened by 20-25%. An MRI of the knee for example, normally takes around 18 minutes to scan, but using the software and the new technique that time can be reduced to 13-14 minutes. During an MRI scan, a patient must lie perfectly still and this reduction in time is of great significance to patients who are in discomfort or anxious.

It has been widely reported that diagnostic services have been massively disrupted by the pandemic and lockdown and waiting times are at a record high. The latest NHS England statistics report that almost 300,000 patients are waiting six weeks or more from referral for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests. The largest increase in the number of patients waiting by test has been for MRI, where the waiting list grew by 58.6%. Faster scans mean around 25% more patients can be scanned in a typical working day.

Andrea Manzi, Area Lead Radiographer at Medical Imaging Partnership has been responsible for introducing the new software into the company and has received very positive reviews from patients who have commented on the speed and efficiency of their scan experience. He says: “I spend a lot of my time scanning patients and we do all we can to make the experience as positive as possible for them. I have been delighted with the happy response from patients to the shorter scan times – the feedback has been great!”.

Pauline Hughes from Tunbridge Wells has suffered from a bad back for 20 years and has had MRI scans on and off during that time. She says: “MRI scans have really improved over the years anyway – 20 years ago they were horrible noisy and uncomfortable affairs that could last for up to 45 minutes and they’re nothing like that now.

“But I couldn’t believe it when my last one was so quick! When you are in a lot of pain it’s really difficult to lie still for any length of time and I was really impressed and relieved when it only took about 10 minutes! Marvellous really.”

Andrew Lennox, Medical Imaging Partnership’s CEO says “We are continually looking to improve patient experience and quality of service – they are key factors that we continually monitor. Solutions such as Compressed SENSE allow us to shorten scan times (and support more patients) without any compromise in quality, and I am very proud of our team who have researched, sourced, and delivered such an amazing solution for our patients benefit.”