An NHS team has been recognised for the “world-leading” heart scan service it has formed to provide high quality images for patients.
The cardiac CT scanning team at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has won an award for image quality from medical technology experts, HeartFlow.
This is due to a number of improvements made from collaborative working between the cardiology and radiology teams.
Gail Griffiths, diagnostic services lead, said: “The service is the result of fantastic collaboration between our different teams in radiology and cardiology.
“Our teams work closely together so that a patient is prepared effectively for their CT scan to produce the best possible quality images.
“It is testament to the work of the whole team, everything they do is focussed on improving each patient’s experience in our care.”
The service has been highlighted for the way cardiac nurses refer patients into the CT service as well as the way radiographers look to constantly improve the quality of the scans produced.
Helping to lower a patient’s heartrate
Lorraine Hollings, specialist radiographer, said: “We are so proud to have been recognised with this award.
“The CT cardiac radiographers commit to constantly improving the quality of the cardiac scan so any movement of the heart is reduced during a scan – achieved through various imaging techniques and by lowering a patient’s heartrate rates with the use of beta blockers administered by the cardiology nurses.
“Taking into consideration a patient’s full medical background, the cardiac nurses also refer many patients into the rapid access chest pain clinic service following initial triage consultations.
“The patients are then given the results of their scan and a treatment plan before they leave.”
Two members of the HeartFlow service, Simon Cliffe and Nav Sadiq, visited the team this month to present them with a special plaque.
Nav Sadiq, regional manager, said: “This award is real testament to the staff in this service – the collaboration between the cardiac and CT team is unbelievable.
“What the team has done to shorten the patient pathway is fantastic – there really is nothing else like it that we have seen anywhere else. It is world leading.
“The team in cardiology are prepping the patients and there is such good cohesion between cardiology and radiology.”