How hSo Customers are Helping the NHS Transform Medical Imaging

The NHS faces enormous challenges making the most of medical imaging. There aren’t enough qualified staff to fill all vacancies, and there’s a vast backlog post-COVID. Significant variations in service exist between different locations.

But independent providers are helping the NHS overcome these issues - improving outcomes for NHS patients and making life easier for overworked NHS staff. That success is helping these firms win more NHS contracts.

We know this because hSo has many of these organisations as customers. Here are a few ways these tech-savvy independent providers are doing their bit to transform medical imaging.

Mobile Imaging Units

One way to improve things for radiographers and patients is to digitise workflows, including during image acquisition.

hSo customer DEOS Consultancy - helps make that a reality. They provide wireless connectivity and data management services to mobile medical screening units.

DEOS’s system securely transfers scan images to PACS (picture archiving and communication systems). Their system lets mobile unit staff update patient records and appointment booking systems in real-time.

DEOS’s proprietary software runs on the hSo cloud linking disparate imaging equipment to numerous Hospital PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems). Mobile scanning units using the system can access patient booking systems via the Health and Social Care Network using a VPN.

For more details, check out our case study. 

Radiological Reporting Platform-as-a-Service

The NHS has a national strategy for transforming imaging services in England. It calls for the NHS to switch to having 18 collaborative ‘imaging networks’ that share imaging staff, equipment and diagnostic reporting. This strategy suggests much radiological reporting should be performed regionally rather than locally, to improve consistency and economies of scale.

But how, in practice, are NHS bodies to collaborate, especially given that different trusts use different IT systems and different PACS, making onboarding and training harder?

One option is to switch to a secure diagnostic reporting hub, such as the one delivered as a service by another of our customers. Their service makes it simple for different trusts to share workloads regionally and nationally, using a single PACS. Radiologists can work from anywhere, viewing lossless medical images via Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. The system also helps with workforce scheduling, allocation & case prioritisation.

Underpinning the system is resilient connectivity from hSo to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), hSo firewalls to help keep the systems safe, and hSo colocation to ensure that data storage and processing happens in the UK in a secure physical environment with resilient power and backup generators.

Global Teleradiology Reporting

In the UK, 7% to 17% of imaging jobs go unfilled. By recruiting teleradiologists from across the globe, not just the UK, another of our customers provides NHS clients with follow-the-sun 24/7/365 cover from radiologists working the day shift in their country. This supports urgent diagnosis and delivers out-of-hours cover at times when the NHS struggles to cover shifts.

By taking advantage of both UK and international talent, this firm adds capacity that helps NHS clients cut COVID backlogs while protecting the work-life balance of NHS staff, reducing staff turnover.

Our client produces over 500,000 reports a year. We help it by connecting its UK offices, providing Internet access and linking data centres.

Local Image Capture

Ultrasound has long played a role in obstetrics but now plays an increasing role in diagnosing muscular-skeletal issues, cardiac complaints and gastrointestinal issues. Much reporting is performed locally by ultrasound specialists.

These clinics need access to patient records and the ability to update them. That requires our customers to have access to HSCN. hSo is able to supply this thanks to being selected as a Health and Social Care Network consumer-network service provider. hSo typically provides ultrasound clinics with remote access to VPN - so staff can work from home, though hSo broadband is also an option, given the relatively low bandwidth requirements.

Good Technology Is Table Stakes to Win NHS Contracts Now

If your organisation seeks to win and retain NHS contracts, medical excellence is essential but no longer sufficient. Tenders routinely ask questions about HSCN connectivity, data protection processes and cybersecurity.

As the NHS continues to digitise workflows and use greater use of AI as an aid to imaging diagnostics, this focus on IT will continue to grow.

How hSo Can Help

Our networking, IT security and cloud services can be combined to create a custom solution designed to meet your specific needs. Service elements include: 

• HSCN Connectivity – Essential for access to patient records. We offer remote access via VPNs, fixed-location access via broadband & leased lines, and cloud access via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, hSo cloud and hSo data centres.
• Dedicated Connectivity - Suitable for rapid transfer of lossless images – We can provide leased lines for offices, fast connections in data centres and resilient options to keep you connected.
• Broadband – This provides a cheaper connectivity option for ultrasound clinics and small offices that don’t need much bandwidth.
• VPNs – These are often combined with HSCN to give clinicians access to the data they need from home.
• Firewalls – A vital element protecting your systems (and the NHS’s) from attack.
• Cloud Hosting – We offer cloud hosting based on VMware Cloud Director, hosted across multiple UK data centres for extra resilience.
• Colocation – We can host your servers in a secure physical environment with resilient power. We offer a choice of over a dozen UK data centres.
• DDoS Protection – We can protect your online systems from Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
• Data Backup – Automated encrypted backups to the cloud to help you protect patient data from loss.

All of these hSo services come with a Service Level Agreement and 24/7 UK support by phone and email.

To learn more about what hSo can do for your organisation, call 020 7847 4510.

About hSo

hSo is a UK managed service provider offering connectivity, cloud and IT security services to organisations.

It has been selected by NHS Digital to provide connections to NHS England's Health and Social Care Network and is listed on UK Government procurement frameworks such as Network Services 2 and G-Cloud 13.

hSo is independently audited for compliance with the requirements of HSCN, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, ISO 14001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.

If you would like to learn more about getting connected to HSCN, hosting applications in the UK or protecting your patient data, call us on 020 7847 4510 or fill in the form below.