Digital imaging to replace X-ray film in London trusts

NHS Connecting for Health (CfH) has installed digital imaging systems to replace X-ray films across all NHS trusts in the south of England and London on time and on budget.

The organisation, which is in charge of delivering the £6.2bn National Programme for IT in the NHS, said 84 of the picture archiving and communications systems (Pacs) were now live across the UK, representing about half the trusts in England.

CfH said Pacs allowed faster delivery of medical images to the clinicians, which could lead to speedier availability of results. It also reduced the number of lost or misplaced images, which meant fewer patients being postponed or cancelled for consultations or operations due to images not being available, it said.

However, CfH is likely to miss the target of having 90% of outpatient bookings online. Only 38% were made that way, it said. When the system, dubbed Choose and Book, was announced, the government said all outpatient bookings would be made electronically by December 2005.

More on the NPfIT

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