A cancer patient has described receiving an MRI scan just nine days after his consultation, a faster than expected turnaround that he says shows how the NHS can be improved by letting radiologists run departments.
Robert Fisk, who has been fighting incurable bowel cancer for three-and-a-half years, had been told a scan showed activity on his brain and that an MRI would be needed to check for spread. He was warned the results might not come for a month.
Rapid Scan and Results
Fisk received an appointment for his MRI head scan just nine days after seeing his doctor, rather than the two or three week wait he expected. On arrival, a radiologist collected him from reception and the scan went ahead, with Fisk choosing the music played during the procedure.
The radiology team managed to write and send the scan report to his medical team before his consultation on Tuesday. The results showed he does not have a brain tumour, meaning there was no need to consult brain cancer specialists about targeted radiotherapy or an operation.
Call for Radiologist-Led Reform
Fisk questioned why the NHS spends so much money on people in suits who describe themselves as leaders, while staff are more likely to call them incompetent managers. He argues that radiologists, who do their jobs quickly and effectively, should be allowed to run the show.
He noted that phone calls to radiology at his hospital are answered far more often than elsewhere, estimating that 96% of his calls have been answered with understandable information. He also highlighted that the radiology department avoids overbooking, unlike other clinics, allowing patients to plan their day.
Sharing Best Practice
Fisk suggests the Government and the NHS should encourage radiologists to share how they run their departments effectively, so that this approach can be replicated in hospitals across the UK. He believes those in suits with clipboards cannot solve the NHS's issues, and may not want to, as fixing the system would reduce their future consulting opportunities.
