Background:
Faced with operational pressures in their Emergency and Radiology services, a major acute hospital serving over 25,000 patients annually commissioned Meridian to analyse system-wide inefficiencies and propose improvements that could enhance patient experience, reduce bottlenecks, and better align staffing with clinical demand.
Analysis:
A two-week study highlighted misalignment between workforce deployment and patient flow in both departments. Key issues included:
Inconsistent processes and resource allocation in the Emergency Department
Ineffective use of Radiographer time, with demand often exceeding available capacity
A lack of real-time performance monitoring and capacity planning tools
Implementation:
Meridian led a 12-week improvement programme co-designed with clinical and operational leaders. This included:
Installation of a capacity and demand model for Radiology
Redefinition of scanning templates and staff rotas
Creation of real-time reporting to support 3-hourly operational reviews
A new cross-departmental huddle structure to respond proactively to patient flow issues
Results:
– CT scanning capacity increased by 25%, without additional headcount
– Patient throughput in CT rose by 20%
– Real-time reporting empowered leadership to reduce waiting time breaches in Emergency
-£15k in staff time savings identified, with long-term savings projected to grow
– New management behaviours and review processes embedded across departments
