2013-03-18 18:59:13 - Independent healthcare provider Care UK has been selected to work in partnership with local commissioning groups to deliver community ultrasound services to NHS patients in Kent.

Starting this month, Care UK will be providing a range of high quality ultrasound services from The College Practice in Maidstone and Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre in Gillingham.

Patricia Warwick, a general manager at Care UK, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as a provider accredited to deliver the community ultrasound service in Kent.

“Care UK provides a first class scanning service and we pride ourselves on clinical excellence, high levels of patient satisfaction and our highly qualified sonographers whose performance is independently reviewed.

“We also offer direct access for GPs which avoids referral into secondary care. Because our services are community based at health clinics and local hospitals, patients can be seen in a convenient local location

which is closer to home.

“Across the country our imaging teams are currently carrying out more than 6,000 scans a month and we are looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise to local people.”

Patients will be referred for scans of everything from the upper abdomen, which includes kidneys, liver and gall bladder, through to soft tissue and pelvis. The service aims to see people as quickly as possible and the patient journey will involve them being contacted within three days of a referral to make an appointment.

If the scan is urgent the appointment will be offered within two working days, if it is routine the appointment will be offered within seven working days. Once the scan has been carried out the result will be sent to the patient’s GP within two working days.

Patricia Warwick added: “Our imaging team uses the latest mobile scanning equipment and technology so that our services are quality assured throughout. Last year we delivered more than 75,000 community based scans at over 63 locations on behalf of 18 commissioners and we are extremely proud of our patient satisfaction rates, which are as high as 97 percent.”

The Care UK Specialist Medical Imaging team provides a range of high quality ultrasound, DEXA and X-ray services on behalf of the NHS. For further information visit www.careuksmi.co.uk or call 0333 321 8844.