In order to overcome a huge volume of medical imaging scans, the NHS trust that operates University College London Hospitals mentioned that it has started sending some of these scans to Australia to be interpreted. The trust is cooperating with Radiology Reporting Online, which is a joint venture with Australian organization Imaging Partners Online (IPO), to handle those scans.
Although this cooperation will help the trust in managing its huge volume of scans, there are concerns in regards to incorrect diagnosis. However, the trust believes that this solution is the best to help it in providing better services.
Tony Nicholson, a former Dean of the Royal College of Radiologists, agreed with the idea of using the help of radiologists from outside the UK. He said “A lot of overseas radiologists are very impressive indeed. But at the end of the day they can only report on what is put in front of them and have no idea about the clinical position of the patient.”
UCLH chief executive Sir Robert Naylor spoke about the cooperation between the trust and Radiology Reporting Online saying that three reasons were behind starting this kind of projects. He explained “First of all it was to improve productivity, secondly to speed up reporting to enable clinicians to make early diagnostic decisions, and thirdly to save money.”