AN Irish healthtech firm will partner with three major NHS trusts to improve access to radiology services for their patients.
xWave Technologies has agreed the partnership with the trusts in the Greater Manchester region who will use their clinical decision support (CDS) tool to streamline access to medical imaging procedures.
Led by the Greater Manchester Imaging Network, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will all begin rolling out the new scheme, titled GP Direct Access, later this year.
It will allow GPs to directly order CT scans of the chest, stomach and hip areas of the body and MRI scans of the brain, in addition to the x-rays and ultrasounds they can already order.
Mitchell O’Gorman, CEO at xWave (Pic: Nick Bradshaw)The software provides guidance to doctors in ordering the most appropriate scan for patients as it integrates with the Royal College of Radiologists’ iRefer guidelines.
“We’re incredibly excited to work with such forward-thinking trusts to deliver clinical decision support at scale,” xWave Technologies CEO Mitchell O’Gorman said.
“At a time when radiology waiting lists are growing and workforce shortages are intensifying, tools like ours can help trusts deliver faster, smarter, and more equitable access to diagnostic imaging.”
He added: “The rollout of xWave’s platform comes as NHS England is making additional funding available for NHS trusts that have not yet adopted clinical decision support solutions.
“This funding is intended to support broader adoption of CDS technologies, such as xWave CDS, to reduce unnecessary imaging, alleviate pressure on radiology services, and ensure patients receive timely and accurate diagnoses.”
The technology is set to be rolled out across Greater Manchester throughout 2025 and 2026.
“We are delighted to be introducing this innovative technology across three of our NHS Trusts,” Catherine Walsh, Associate Director of the Greater Manchester Imaging Network, said.
“These tools will not only improve outcomes for patients by ensuring they get the right scan at the right time, but they will also support our hardworking GPs and radiology teams by streamlining workflows and optimising use of limited resources,” she added.
See More: Greater Manchester, Ireland, Nhs, Radiology, UK, XWave
