Significant changes to the range of services offered at the Milton Keynes University Hospital, including the addition of a new MRI scanning unit, together with rapid population growth had led the Trust to investigate the most efficient ways of delivering services to patients and improve hospital waiting times. The new MRI service for both private and NHS patients referred by local GPs, was particularly coming under strain with increased demand on existing resources, resulting in patients having to wait longer for their scans.
An ideal model of service delivery would be an Independent Diagnostic Centre that would deliver MRI services to the local community
The Trust chose to work with InHealth to establish an Independent Diagnostic Centre located in The Hub – the vibrant business and retail quarter of Milton Keynes. Linked to the MRI service at the Milton Keynes General Hospital, the centre is jointly managed, with staff working between both sites to maintain best practice and service quality.
The Centre has a full range of state-of-the-art musculoskeletal, neurological, pelvic, abdominal, Base Mineral Densitometry and cardiac imaging equipment.
In addition to the provision of multiple consulting rooms, the MRI suite has capacity to perform over 10,000 diagnostic scans per year on the state of-the-art Siemens Avanto MRI scanner.
Following the setup of the Independent Diagnostic Centre, referrals for self-pay patients grew from 550 per month to nearly 900 per month, which has assisted the hospital in maintaining optimal waiting times for patients.
The unit is now open 7 days per week between 8am and 8pm. The Centre has 10 administration and 14 clinical staff including Radiographers and Radiographer Assistants.
The Diagnostic Centre is continuously looking at new ways to enhance the patient pathway and to maximise capacity. 17 hours per week are allocated to MRI, CT and Ultrasound and the Centre rents out rooms to specialists for acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropody and hypnotherapy to maximise capacity and offer additional services and choice to patients.
“The Consultant Radiologists who have been working with InHealth and Milton Keynes Hospital are delighted to be able to extend the relationship in an exciting new venture. We believe that the Centre at The Hub will represent a very high quality facility and offer an enhanced patient experience”
