How Community Diagnostic Centres provide a multitude of benefits for both patients and workforce

The NHS has outsourced to diagnostic and community centres for several years. Doing so has proven its effectiveness in relieving pressure from Acute trusts by utilising additional capacity at other sites away from hospitals. This, in turn, also diverts GP referrals away from secondary care allowing secondary workforces to focus on their current patient pathways.

Xyla Elective Care (XEC) provides a broad spectrum of community diagnostic services, supported by the rollout of Community Diagnostic Centres to deliver such modalities.

These range from electrocardiogram, Holter monitor and blood pressure analysis, general ultrasounds, and echocardiography, all of which encompass patient benefits of being delivered within the more flexible Community Diagnostic Centres.

The benefits include:

• Waiting times are significantly shorter compared to local acute trusts
• Community Diagnostic Centres are often closer to patient homes which reduces the level of travel required and increases patient flexibility
• The Centres are often easier to reach and park at compared to hospital sites
• Reports are returned directly to their GP in a short time frame allowing patient care to be managed and adapted quickly

In the case of echocardiography, the utilisation of independent workforces avoids the need to be referred via a Cardiologist before relevant tests have been performed. We offer this within a flexible solution that prioritises patient experience and promotes a reduction in hospital admissions and improved discharge services. We achieve this by supplying trusts with end-to-end delivery within our partnership, not just an echocardiographer but also the equipment, data storage and reporting systems.

These are vital solutions, with respect to NHS England’s 350,000 cardiology backlog, to ensure pathways are progressed efficiently and patients receive the clinical excellence that XEC is renowned for.

Keli Konrad, Regional Lead Echocardiographer at Xyla Elective Care, has provided echocardiography services for PPG Hampshire through XEC for the past two years from four sites across the Hampshire region.

Speaking on the benefits of community echocardiography services, Keli said:

“My clinics can be flexible to suit mine or the patient’s needs. It’s a great job working in a community setting, without the stress that comes with Acute trust environments. The Xyla team are always available for any issues or just for a catch-up and chat.

“Patients are always very appreciative of the service, and I’ve had some great feedback. One patient wrote to the PPG Director saying: ‘I just wanted to write to highlight how brilliant Miss Keli Konrad was when I had my Echo at the Oak Park Community Hospital recently. Keli was so reassuring and took me through what was happening at every stage.

“She could not have been kinder or more understanding – an absolute credit to the profession in every way. I cannot thank the trust enough for arranging for me to have the Echo so quickly, so enormously grateful.’”

If you would like to join our diagnostics team and become part of our success story, click here to check out our latest roles or contact laurel.walsh@acaciumgroup.com.