New ultrasound service piloted at GP surgery

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital's Radiology department, working in close partnership with Elmham and Swanton Morley Surgeries, this week started a three-month pilot providing a community-based ultrasound service at Swanton Morley Surgery.

The weekly service will be led by ultrasonographers from the hospital, who will scan GP referred patients from the surrounding local area.

This pilot service development offers a fantastic opportunity as it will be able to provide a quicker diagnosis closer to patients homes. The ultrasound service is another step towards the hospital and practices working together to develop a community-based imaging services in order to reduce waiting times, ensure timely diagnosis and streamline the treatment pathways for patients.

“Swanton Morley Surgery has been at the forefront of developing innovative services and new ways of working; we are a nurse-led practice and are delighted to be working in partnership with the radiology department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in order to provide this ultrasound service to patients near their own homes,” said Penny Louch, Nurse Lead.

Consultant NNUH radiologist Dr Stuart Williams said: “This is a new initiative that we very much hope will benefit both patients and family doctors and nurses. Rather than patients having to come to the university hospital, our ultrasonographers will be going out to the surgeries to enable people to have ultrasound scans much closer to home. It is a three-month pilot but if it works well it is something we will be keen to continue and to build on for the future.”  

Once the patient's scan is done the ultrasound images are securely stored centrally along with the rest of the patient's image history in the NNUH's secure digital picture archive system. The NNUH radiology department also provides a convenient local ultrasound service at Cromer and District Hospital for patients living in North Norfolk.