"The investigators also emphasise the safety risks posed by delays in radiology reporting, frankly stating that the operational ideal of 'hot reporting' of A&E X-rays and scans, while desirable, is simply not currently achievable within the NHS, as a result of the ongoing national shortage of radiologists.
"The RCR was a central advisor to the HSIB investigation and we are extremely pleased that the agency has issued us – alongside NHSX, NHS England/Improvement (NHSE/I) and the hospital regulator – with practical undertakings to improve the management of unexpected radiological findings across England.
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"Much of the onus remains on hospital trusts to ensure they have robust alerts systems, escalation procedures and supporting IT to ensure radiological findings are acted upon. We will continue to provide imaging teams with professional support and guidance on these issues, and hope central Government and NHSE/I will be able to support providers with much-needed capital investment to improve IT, so that the necessary electronic alert systems can actually be implemented in our hospitals and GP practices.
"Meanwhile, we look forward to getting to work on the report's recommendations – that we produce a national alerts framework for trusts to incorporate into their local IT, and help NHSX develop a digital notification system for patients. We will be publishing a formal response this autumn, with the aim of finalising a national alerts and coding framework for use in English hospitals within the next 12-18 months."
To read the full HSIB report, please visit: https://www.hsib.org.uk/investigations-cases/communication-and-follow-unexpected-significant-radiological-findings/final-report/
References
1. Patient safety concerns were originally raised in a National Patient Safety Agency Safer Practice Notice in 2007. The RCR has published various UK-wide documents about alerts systems and the communication of scan results, including our most recent guidance, "Standards for the communication of radiological reports and fail-safe alert notifications", published in 2016.
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