Southern Trust becomes first in Northern Ireland to run 7 day X-Ray reporting services

by Gráinne Connolly

The Southern Trust has become the first health trust in Northern Ireland to offer a 7 day X-Ray reporting service.

It will run for Emergency Departments and Minor Injury Units on Craigavon, Daisy Hill and South Tyrone Hospitals sites.

The Trust radiographers' team provide expert advice to nursing and medical staff about patients presenting with fractures and trauma-related injuries. 

We're told hospitals within the UK who have already introduced this service have seen significant improvements in patient turnaround times within their Emergency departments.

In recent weeks, this service has been extended and will now be available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 12.30pm Saturday and Sunday.

It previously ran Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm. 

A spokesperson for the Southern Trust says the move is a "significant step" towards 7 day working across the Trust and will benefit patients and ease pressures in Emergency Departments. 

Jeanette Robinson, Head of Diagnostics explained: 

“Having the reporting radiographers’ team available 7 days a week will help to reduce waiting times for patients as the team will now be available every day to provide specialist advice and formal reports of patient x-rays to nursing and medical staff.

"This will not only improve patient safety but also ensure that doctors and nurses have more time to spend with patients and this will help reduce the time that patients stay in hospital.”

“Our reporting radiographers’ team are very experienced and have a very thorough understanding of the body’s structure, how it is affected by injury, and the causes and effects of disease.”

Last year, The Trust radiographers’ team reported on 57,000 Plain Film x-rays.

The team has recently been recognised for their excellent work; as winners in Northern Ireland advancing healthcare awards for leadership and culture (2017) and twice as runners up in the UK Advancing Healthcare Awards.