Key challenges the programme is striving to address across diagnostic services are as follows:
Growth
- For some diagnostic modalities, projected growth rates are being surpassed by in-year actual activity levels.
- This is resulting in demand outstripping capacity.
- This increase in backlog also impacts on their ability to meet the constitutional standard of 95%.
Financial landscape
- Securing additional investment is becoming increasingly difficult, reducing the ability to increase capacity to required levels and support throughput.
- Whilst mutual aid across the acute trusts is constantly being explored, this can be difficult to mobilise due to their current level of interoperability.
Workforce
- Significant challenges remain with recruitment and retention, and appropriate skill mix across diagnostic services.
- Whilst overall establishment numbers have increased, there is a continued significant reliance on agency staffing.
- The South West London system can be seen as less attractive compared to competing areas across London, due to variation in waiting list initiative (WLI) pay rates and differences in pay benefits.
Digitisation
- The Acute Provider Collaborative say that they need to understand AI opportunities across diagnostics, requiring an evidence base and appropriate funding for implementation.
- The potential of AI to enhance clinical productivity, operational and back office efficiency are areas that are being explored.