3rd March 2009
Medica Chief Executive Simon Rasalingham
pictured with Chief Operating Officer Bob Harper.
Medica ready to support NHS Trusts when EWT Directive goes ahead
The largest remote reporting network in the UK is preparing to step up its support for the NHS when the EU enforces the European Working Time Directive in August 2009.
Medica, who already partners over 50 NHS Trusts, is now in talks with many more who see a UK solution to out-of-hours teleradiology as a low-risk, high-quality and cost-effective response to the new law.
The EWT problem was thrown into sharp focus by a letter from Prof. Andy Adam, President of the Royal College of Radiologists, published on the RCR’s website. In it, Prof. Adam said that EWT issues were now assuming great urgency.
“Many Trusts are finding it difficult to meet its requirements and few have a coherent plan that would allow full compliance by the deadline of August 2009”, he said.
An informal survey carried out by the Faculty of Clinical Radiology has found that most training departments anticipate that full implementation in August “would result in major problems”.
Now, Medica CEO Simon Rasalingham has stepped up an ongoing drive to recruit suitably experienced UK Consultant Radiologists to fill the gap at local level and extend its CT Nighthawk service which has been tried and tested for over three years in the NHS.
Medica already has a UK-wide network of highly-experienced Consultants Radiologists, with highly sophisticated teleradiology equipment in their own homes. Using this network, the company is able to spread the load of out-of-hours reporting far more effectively than a Trust can do locally.
Medica is currently in dialogue with virtually every NHS acute Trust not yet already connected to the CT Nighthawk service.
“Radiology services are already under considerable pressure from the National Stroke Strategy, the NICE head injury guidelines and A&E waiting times”, Mr Rasalingham pointed out.
“In June, the referral-to-treatment target drops to two weeks for imaging departments and the EWT Directive is due to come into force just two months later. We need to stand behind our NHS Trusts because the pressure to provide out-of-hours imaging and reporting is becoming unsustainable”.
The Royal College of Surgeons is seeking a speciality-specific opt-out from the Directive. The RCR says it is considering the matter in depth.
For further information about this news article, contact John V. Wright, Blue Planet Communications, 01782 711978.
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