Diagnostic Services Restoration Update – 25 June 2020
As you will know, due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, many routine diagnostic services at Sherwood Forest Hospitals were paused, in line with National guidance.
Throughout the pandemic a range of diagnostic services have been available for our urgent and cancer patients. Since early May (Phase 1) we have been restoring these services further and have started to enable some routine testing. In the next phase we will start to increase the provision of routine diagnostic services and we will update patients and staff when we begin to do this.
Due to the need for socially distancing patients and infection control guidelines around cleaning and the separation of patients and equipment most services will not be able to deliver 100% of their pre-Covid-19 activity, We will continue to prioritise patients in line with their clinical urgency.
Radiology
We have maintained the two week wait and urgent referral diagnostics throughout the pandemic. Our radiology service began their phase 1 restoration in May, which has delivered 65% of their pre-Covid-19 activity, including routine appointments. CT, MRI, ultrasound and plain film imaging are taking place at King’s Mill Hospital, ultrasound, CT and plain film are taking place at Newark Hospital and plain film and ultrasound are taking place at Mansfield Community Hospital.
From the w/c 22 June 2020 Radiology has moved to phase 2, with weekend and evening ultrasound appointments at King’s Mill Hospital, and weekend appointments for ultrasound due to re-start at Newark Hospital over the next two weeks.
MSK MRI diagnostic examinations are being undertaken at a local independent provider.
Endoscopy
Two week wait and urgent activity for gastroscopies, colonoscopies, sigmoidoscopies and cystoscopies have commenced at Newark Hospital and King’s Mill Hospital in line with BSG/JAG guidance. From the w/c 22 June 2020 some routine procedures have restarted at Newark Hospital.
Respiratory
Two week wait and urgent bronchoscopies, lung function tests, and spirometry were restored in May, with some routine availability, in line with guidance from the Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology.
Phase 2 plans for respiratory services will be implemented from 1 July 2020.
Cardiology
Urgent cardiac angiography services have been maintained. Two week wait and urgent referrals, and patients waiting over 6 weeks for face to face diagnostics such as echocardiograms and cardiac ultrasound were restored in May. Phase 2 restoration will provide capacity for routine appointments.
Audiology
The audiology service continued to provide new born screening diagnostics and restored face to face testing for adults and paediatrics in May 2020, also supporting Ear Nose and Throat clinics.
DEXA was also fully restored in May with a capacity for 80 patients per week.