Background
large NHS Trust recognised rising costs and inefficiencies across three major service areas: Theatres, Outpatients, and Radiology. The Executive Team invited Meridian to conduct an operational review with the goal of increasing utilisation, improving patient throughput, and reducing reliance on costly additional sessions. With over £2M in planned spend on supplementary sessions, the Trust aimed to improve control, capacity planning, and performance transparency.
Analysis
Meridian delivered a 35-day, multi-site diagnostic across the three departments. The analysis revealed fragmented processes, unclear job plan expectations, poor control of additional sessions, and underutilised available capacity. Performance targets were inconsistently applied, and historic management systems did not provide timely visibility of variance or opportunity. Opportunity was evident across productivity, scheduling, and workforce allocation.
Implementation
A 32-week improvement programme was launched, covering planning, control, and team behaviours. The project defined utilisation benchmarks, introduced 6-4-2 theatre planning, implemented job plan reviews, and created detailed capacity models. Structured review processes and accountability frameworks were installed. A duty radiologist role was developed to improve responsiveness and resource visibility. Workshops and 1:1 sessions helped embed new norms across clinical and managerial staff.
Results
£673K in annualised savings in theatres
– £654K annualised outpatient slot utilisation gain
– £463K savings plan in Outpatients and £145K in Radiology
– Reduced waiting list initiative sessions by £510K annually
– 470 additional patients seen per month via improved short-notice booking
– Structured theatre list planning and booking protocols now embedded
– Capacity/demand modelling and modality-specific planning now in place
– Developed and trialled a ‘Duty Radiologist’ role to improve workflow and queries
