CAMRIN’s programmes of work

The Cheshire and Merseyside Radiology Imaging Network has six core programmes of work, as detailed further below:

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence and access to it are key to improving care and transforming radiology imaging services. We are looking at how we can deliver benefits to patients by establishing a network-wide approach to working with data, that will begin with designing and developing a data lake called “CAMDASH”, using Power BI, to enable a real-time view of radiology imaging data. Including a dashboard that will focus specifically on capacity and demand, and enable the health and care staff who utilise it, to gain a better understanding of the needs of their Trust’s radiology services.

Clinical Pathways

The Clinical Pathways programme conducts specialist service reviews to ensure an increase in the quality of our clinical services, a reduction in service variation for patients, and to improve the sustainability of our radiology services. It supports the standardisation of patient pathways (such as cancer) and collaborates closely with relevant networks (such as the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance). The programme also looks at bringing outsourced reporting back into the NHS by developing a radiology reporting collaborative.

Digital

The digital delivery programme works to implement new technology to support improvements in patient care across Cheshire and Merseyside. Ground-breaking collaboration was delivered in 2013 with a collective approach to digital radiology systems, that has facilitated the delivery of patient care by enabling rapid access to clinical images throughout clinical environments. The Radiology Imaging Network is continually building on this work and has a variety of projects in progress within the digital delivery programme. This includes looking at innovative artificial intelligence (AI) products.

Procurement

As a Network, we continuously work to maximise NHS resources by working collaboratively on procurement to achieve cost savings, through for example, aligning equipment maintenance agreements and procuring integrated care system-wide software solutions – where appropriate. This approach also minimises unwarranted variation in systems and equipment across the Network. There are various projects running within the procurement programme which include digital systems, capital replacement, equipment maintenance, and consumable spending.

Transformation

The transformation programme is an aimed at revolutionising radiology imaging services by enhancing efficiencies, improving patient care, and ensuring the highest quality standards are met. The programme includes an interventional radiology project that aims to evaluate existing procedures, staffing, and equipment utilisation for out-of-hours interventional radiology. In addition to a Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET CT) project that aims to develop and implement a comprehensive recovery plan to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis for patients who are having PET CT scans done.

Workforce

With so many demands on imaging services and strategic drivers, it is crucial that the workforce can deliver. This was further highlighted in Professor Sir Mike Richard’s review of Diagnostic services, published in 2020, that recommended large increases in the number of imaging staff over the next five years. To support this, our workforce vision is: ‘To develop and nurture a skilled workforce that will provide the current and future imaging needs of patients across the North West of England, embracing new technology and models of high-quality service delivery’.