Radiology technology start-up Hexarad has developed a new workflow management software tool to help to streamline radiology departments and reduce scan reporting delays. The Optirad technology has been developed to target some of the key causes of diagnostic delays, and could substantially reduce unnecessary delays.

Dr Farzana Rahman, Hexarad CEO, commented, “Radiology departments across the UK are seriously struggling to meet demand for their services at the moment, and unfortunately it is patients who end up suffering from delayed diagnoses. We need a solution to these delays now, not in two years’ time, which is why we focused on a technology solution that could be deployed immediately. We are have already signed with one NHS Trust, and are in discussions with several more, to roll Optirad out in the coming months.”

Optirad works by analysing and then deploying a radiology department’s workforce in the most efficient way. It can work across multiple different sites, assigning specialist reporting to the most appropriate radiologist. It also has rota management, intelligent allocations, and intelligent supply and demand forecasting features. After an internal testing program, the Hexarad team believe that the positive impact on patient diagnosis, flow, and waiting lists will be significant.

New solutions to the mounting NHS radiology delays are especially important at the moment as NHS waiting lists continue to surge. A recent report from the Royal College of Radiologists showed that the number one concern for doctors is staff shortages leading to delayed diagnoses[i]. The same report also showed that 97% of clinical directors were concerned about the backlogs and delays that patients were experiencing, and 81% cited worries about patient safety[ii]. For cancer patients, the consequences of every month of delayed treatment is a 10% increase in their risk of death.

The demand for imaging has dramatically increased since the start of the pandemic, with a tenfold increase in imaging waiting lists over the last two years. Last year the UK performed approximately 70 scans per minute, but delays on reporting those scans mean that patients are waiting longer for their diagnoses and treatment.