Philips and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust have embarked on a groundbreaking new pilot that could see thousands more NHS patients diagnosed each year by enabling out-of-hours MRI exams to be overseen remotely. 

Beginning in January 2025, the new pilot uses Philips Radiology Operations Command Centre technology deployed at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to maximise capacity by enabling experienced radiographers to support on-site teams from a remote location, enhancing patient care.

The pilot focuses on the potential for out-of-hours scanning, with appointments taking place between 8pm and midnight when the scanners would not normally be used. This new way of working enables the service to get the most from the equipment and gives patients greater flexibility with appointment times.

This follows a successful 12-month proof-of-concept pilot of Philips Radiology Operations Command Centre technology at the Trust to assess whether the technology’s use provided a scalable solution that could reduce training time, increase capabilities and capacity, while reducing scan time and recalls.

In the first month alone of the new pilot, extending the service at one of the Trust’s Community Diagnostic Centres from 12 to 16 hours per day, five days per week, resulted in a further 270 patients being seen in the evenings. The flexibility of out-of-hours appointments led to a reduction in Did Not Attend (DNA) rates to under 2%, compared to the usual 5–7%, in addition to improved waiting list times. This potential is only set to grow as the pilot progresses.

“In England, we’re seeing a growing shortfall of diagnostic radiographers – which leads to hospital bottlenecks and increasing wait times for patient diagnosis. The possibility of radiographers being able to support on-site colleagues remotely, as well as through extended hours as seen in our pilot with Imperial College Hospital NHS Trust, could truly change the game. Perhaps in the future, we will see scanners running for 24 hours a day – but until then, we must continue to prioritise improving digital infrastructure and workforce support within the NHS to provide better care for more people in the UK.” said Mark Leftwich, Managing Director at Philips UK and Ireland.

Empowering patients and NHS staff with out-of-hours scanning 

The pilot caters to a growing demand from NHS patients who are willing to attend appointments through the night if it means avoiding long wait lists. A survey conducted by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust found that the vast majority of patients (88%) were open to attending appointments outside of traditional hours.

Not only do extended scanning hours mean reduced waitlists – they also mean that patients don’t need to take time off work to attend an appointment, and NHS imaging experts can access a never-seen-before opportunity to work remotely.

Alleviating NHS staff pressures in a successful 12-month pilot 

Prior to the pilot, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust experienced many challenges seen across the NHS today. Notable pressures included high staff turnover, a shortage of experienced staff and inefficient use of medical and non-medical staff time. They also faced too few diagnostic radiographers to meet the demand for imaging exams - particularly for more complex exams such as cardiac MRI.

Philips Radiology Operations Command Center technology has helped alleviate pressure by allowing experienced NHS imaging staff to support across a whole department, rather than being localised to one scanner and examination at a time. With multiple MRI scanners in operation across several sites, patient exams were conducted by on-site radiographers, present at all times to ensure patient comfort and safety, overseen by expert colleagues who can remotely operate the scanner whilst communicating directly with on-site colleagues.

The pilot has also maximised training opportunities for junior radiology staff. Multiple trainees at once can receive faster and more streamlined training from the most skilled personnel in the Trust, without being confined to specific scanners and locations.

“The NHS radiology workforce is trained to the highest possible level - but in busy environments, making the best use of skilled staff for training and education can be a challenge. Thanks to the Radiology Operations Command Centre, we’ve roughly doubled the number of radiology staff that we can train. The option to view multiple scanners across multiple sites is unique. It has unlocked fast, safe, efficient training at the highest quality.” said Philip Gregory, Clinical Director (London Imaging Academy) and Practice Educator, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The use of Radiology Operations Command Centre for training at Imperial College Healthcare NHS during the 12-month pilot led to double the number of radiographers trained in 10 weeks – half the time of previous training (20 weeks).

Learn more on how Philips is working with pioneering hospitals to provide better care for more people, such as through the pilot with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, here. 

Data on file, provided by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Survey of 102 patients across Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust sites over a two-week period, ahead of the 2025 pilot.

Results from case studies are not predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.