Non Obstetric Ultrasound Services

NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) seeks expressions of interest from suitably qualified organisations that have the necessary capability and capacity to provide Community Non-Obstetric Ultrasound Diagnostic Services in Gloucestershire. The NHS supports the need to develop improved access to diagnostic tests as part of the drive to reduce waiting times and improve choice options for Patients. The need to develop community based diagnostic services is supported by the Royal College of Radiologists and Royal College of General Practitioners as part of a service strategy to improve access to tests and ensure these tests are delivered at the right stage of the Patient care pathway. It is important that the use of Community Non-Obstetric Ultrasound (NOUS) is governed by accepted national and locally agreed referral guidelines to maximise the value and cost-effectiveness of this imaging modality in patient management. The service being commissioned is a local community based GP direct access NOUS service with staff qualified to appropriate levels of skill and experience, using equipment which complies with the guidance set by the Royal College of Radiologists, connection to NHS image transfer solutions, the ability to integrate with the e-referral system should this be needed, robust performance management systems and stringent levels of clinical governance. The service is expected to undertake 11,780 scans annually.The overarching aims of the service are:• To ensure Patients receive the right test at the right time and in the most clinically appropriate local setting • To aid early diagnostics and avoid the need for unnecessary referral to secondary care, or to support the shift of activity in to a primary care setting• To ensure diagnostic testing is integrated across pathways of care, that the report and images follows the Patient and can be clearly viewed on the IT system and that there is no unnecessary duplication of investigation• To develop local diagnostic service provision that improves access and enables Patients and referring clinicians to access a choice of provision according to Patient choice, clinical need and relevant care pathways• To ensure diagnostic tests are appropriate, necessary, clinically correct, of high quality, with timely access and reporting• To ensure that imaging is compliant with the recommendations of the national evidence based interventions programme• To provide patients with an excellent patient experience• To ensure that patient safety is a core priority for the service and that patients can be assured of the same level of examination and report quality from community NOUS as from other ultrasound service providers in the region.• To ensure that a culture of continuous quality improvement is embedded in the service• To ensure that the service is able to evolve and innovate according to the needs of the local population and future changes in clinical management pathways