New diagnostic centre will open later this year

In the monthly Ward Round column, hospital CEO Alice Webster looks forward to the opening of a new diagnostics centre…It’s been a busy start to 2024 across our Trust, and I’d like to thank our staff for their continued dedication and hard work to always provide the best possible care for our patients.Our teams have been working hard to improve wait times and flow across our hospital, particularly in our emergency department, to enhance the experience for our patients. We have been working hard to reduce the number of long waits, focusing particularly on those waiting longer than 12 hours.

You may remember in October we opened our newly reconfigured emergency department following a £2.7m investment, to improve ambulance handovers. I’m pleased to report the impact of this newly configured area, alongside the hard work of all our dedicated teams, is reflected in our figures for October through to December 2023 where fewer patients have experienced a wait longer than 12 hours from decision to admission compared to July to September 2023.We know there’s still work to do, but this is certainly an improvement and we will continue to work to reduce our wait times and improve services for patients and their families.As often comes with the start of a new calendar year, there’s a sense of anticipation for the year ahead. One exciting project we have to focus on this year will be the opening of our new diagnostic centre. Those of you who pass by our hospital regularly will have seen the new building taking shape at the top end of our site at an impressive speed.

This state-of-the-art dedicated centre, due to open its doors to patients in the autumn, will provide some much-needed additional imaging capacity which will in turn drive forward a reduction in waiting times for our outpatients.The diagnostic centre will house cutting-edge MRI and CT scanners as well as X-ray and ultrasound imaging used for diagnosis and monitoring of a wide range of conditions – including cancer and breathing conditions. The new centre will provide additional scan appointments, as well as faster imaging which can lead to earlier diagnosis and ultimately and, most importantly, improve health outcomes for our patients.This is a collaborative project with the three acute hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney, with similar facilities being built at the James Paget University Hospitals in Great Yarmouth and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals. A project like this showcases partnership working at its very best. We will be working to standardise practices and work together to transform how imaging and other diagnostic services are provided for the whole of Norfolk and Waveney.As we move towards an opening date, there will be several job opportunities available, including radiographers, radiologists and support staff. Visit our ‘Work With Us’ section on our website to find out more.It’s an exciting time to join Team QEH with a new hospital on the horizon and this new diagnostic facility will only further complement our offering to potential new team members.With this in mind, if you are looking for a new challenge this year, then an apprenticeship at The QEH could be for you.You can earn, learn and make a difference all at the same time! We have 45 apprenticeships available, at a range of levels dependent on your skill set. Our apprenticeships offer routes into numerous careers through a mix of on-the-job training and classroom, online or hybrid learning.With courses available in customer service, pharmacy services, occupational therapy, midwifery and senior leadership to name a very few this is an opportunity that could open up new doors to a new career path. Apprenticeships are a great gateway into a career path in the NHS and with 73% of our successful learners going on to earn more, they certainly can be a pathway to success.If you’d like to find out more keep an eye on our social media channels throughout February or visit our website, www.qehkl.nhs.ukGot a story? Email newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk