 | Top tips to overcome the challenge of commissioning diagnostic services
This short guide presents top tips for commissioners to meet the most common challenges in the delivery of diagnostic services |
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 | Directory of Diagnostic Services for Commissioning Organisations
This guide brings together in one place information about all of the diagnostic modalities to inform your decisions about commissioning diagnostic services. The resources have been developed by National Clinical Directors (NCDs) for endoscopy, imaging, pathology and physiological diagnostics in conjunction with NHS Improvement and the innovative services that they have worked with. |
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 | The best of clinical pathway redesign - practical examples delivering benefits to patients
The examples here showcase just some of the innovations that have enabled thousands of patients to enjoy better health and well-being thanks to practicalservice improvements implemented on various clinical pathways Find out about the work of NHS Improvement - Diagnostics |
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 | Service improvement in blood sciences
How to improve quality, delivery and efficiency for laboratory providers and their customers
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 | Supporting direct access to diagnostic imaging for cancer Diagnostics
Best practice pathways for diagnostic imaging teams Direct Access to Diagnostics Tests for Cancer: Best Practice Referral Pathways for General Practitioners, April 20122 guide, covers the process for direct referral by GPs to four specific diagnostic tests for the assessment of particular symptoms where cancer may be suspected but the urgent GP referral (two week wait) process is not applicable. The guide does not extend into the pathway beyond the diagnostic testing stage or include endoscopy pathways. This NHS Improvement document has been written to support diagnostic imaging teams, and to help them to understand the best practice pathways for GP direct access to diagnostic imaging tests for suspected cancer. |
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| Service improvement in microbiology: why, what and how
Effective microbiological services are a key requirement of quality in pathology.They can be provided by a range of healthcare providers in a wide variety of settings and it is therefore essential that patients needs are considered. Samples should be taken as locally as possible, with ease of access and in a timely manner to ensure early decision making regarding patient diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. (July 2012)
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 | Towards best practice in interventional radiology
Towards best practice in interventional radiology draws together the findings from visits to interventional radiology (IR) services at proposed major trauma centres in England during 2011/12. This record of their major findings provides a definitive read for trust chief executives and commissioners to help better inform IR service reviews. (June 2012)
View the case studies |
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 | First steps towards quality improvement: A simple guide to improving services
(December 2011) |
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 | Rapid review of endoscopy services
NHS Improvement Jan 2012 shares emerging learning from front line services and identifies areas of good practice in addition to highlighting some key challenges that endoscopy departments are encountering today (March 2012) |
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 | First steps in improving phlebotomy: The challenge to improve quality, productivity and patient experience
In Lord Carter’s review of pathology services, the importance of improving access to phlebotomy was referenced. Working in partnership with the Department of Health Pathology Programme, NHS Improvement supported four pilot sites to test whether Lean methodology could meet the challenge of improving the quality, productivity, and patient experience for phlebotomy services (May 2011).
View the case studies |
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 | What a difference a day makes
Small improvements at each step of the end to end pathway, as little as one hour or one day, support users to deliver effective MDTs, redesign outpatient clinics and improve the patient experience and outcomes
(Jan 2011). |
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 | Learning how to achieve a seven day turnaround in histopathology
Reducing the intervals between specimens being taken and results being made available will reduce the period of uncertainty for patients and will help to ensure that treatment can be started as soon as clinically appropriate. For inpatients reduced histopathology turnaround times can lead to reductions in lengths of stay.(Nov 2010).
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 | Continuous improvement in cytology - sustaining and accelerating improvement
The Cancer Reform Strategy made a promise that all women would receive their screening results within two weeks by 2010, the next challenge was sustainability. This publication demonstrates how the pilot sites have continued to embed their improvements throughout the cytology pathway. It includes practical examples in reducing turnaround times, improving quality, safety and productivity (Oct 2010).
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 | Why treat stroke and transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) as emergencies?
Diagnostics and Stroke Improvement launched this publication on “Why treat stroke and transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) as emergencies”. This publication highlights the benefits and provides examples of how radiology departments have managed to meet these demands
(Jun 2010) |
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 | Bringing Lean to Life
"Bringing Lean to Life" provides a basic introduction and overview of Lean; the culture, principles and tools to understand, tackle and resolve issues within healthcare. It is not intended as a complete guide to implementing Lean as a management system. (May 2010). |
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 | Cytology improvement guide - achieving a 14 day turnaround time in Cytology
This new guide highlights the findings and improvements from the pilot sites who tested how the 14 day standards can be achieved using Lean methodology.This practical guide is supported by tried and tested case studies across the whole patient pathway which NHS staff involved in the screening pathway can adopt and adapt to meet their local setting. (Nov 2009).
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 | Learning from Pathology service improvement sites
As referred to in the Carter review, this publication demonstrates that achievements can be made rapidly, for little or no cost. (Aug 2006). |
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 | Service Improvement for Radiologists
a signposting document summarising service improvement methodology and benefits
Success factors - general
Success factors - computerised tomography November 2007 |