"Change to x-ray appointments"

Dear Toots You

Thank you for your comments, and I hope we can offer you some reassurance in response.

We have had to change the process as a result of the requirement for social distancing as we strive to return our services to ‘normal’ post COVID.

Where previously we had what we term ‘open access’, we now have to restrict the number of patients in the x-ray departments across Lincolnshire at any one moment. This has meant that we have had to instigate an appointment system for patients that need an x-ray following an appointment with their GP or Practice Nurse.

There are two parts to the appointment system. If your GP or Nurse wants you to have what he/she describes as an urgent or acute x-ray, an appointment will be arranged for the same day, or certainly within 24 hours. In this instance, the GP can ring the Radiology Booking Team and secure a time for your x-ray in one of our 8 sites across United Lincolnshire Hospitals.

If you GP or Nurse says you need an x-ray but it is not urgent or acute, and therefore does not need undertaking within 24 hours, then he/she will send an electronic referral via a secure network to our Booking Team There is no need for our patients to call, as they will automatically be given an appointment on the site nearest to their home.

Whilst we have always viewed ‘open access’ as the gold standard service, where our patients can walk-in for their x-ray, we have no alternative but to introduce a booking system as it has been mandated to us to ensure social distancing. We have had to set up a team very quickly to respond to the increasing number of x-ray requests from our GP colleagues. There have inevitably been a number of pressures, but the team have worked extremely hard to ensure that we see patients in the most timely matter possible. As with all new systems, this has and is evolving, but you can be assured that we are working as hard as we can to make this system work against the background of social distancing.

In investigating your concerns, we suspect that your GP may have given you the telephone number for ‘same day’/acute requests for x-ray’s, which is a phone number reserved for patients who the GP needs to attend for an x-ray immediately. We regret that as this number has been given routinely to patients for less urgent x-rays, this phone line may appear constantly busy or the volume of phone-calls exceeds the number of staff available to answer.

Thank you for your comments and feedback which was very helpful in enabling us to review the process, and we will do so with the appropriate teams in more detail as we continually evaluate this process.

Regards

Nigel