Visit to Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Our chief executive, Daniel Elkeles, visited Taunton Diagnostic Centre (TDC), a partnership between Somerset Foundation Trust and Alliance Medical. Across diagnostics and planned care, the trust is making huge progress in reducing waiting times, setting up community-based services and is making the most of digital. It is actively thinking through how to provide high quality accessible services to a large dispersed, often-elderly population across a rural county with poor public transport.

Daniel said: "This facility right next to a junction of the M5 motorway was originally designed as an emergency services control centre. It’s part of a county-wide diagnostic network that will consist of three large diagnostic centres in the major towns of Taunton, Yeovil and Bridgwater supported by a network of 13 neighbourhood diagnostic centres. Only the most complex planned procedures and emergency diagnostics need to be undertaken at the county's two acute sites.

"The ground floor of the centre has a full range of imaging modalities provided using a shared staffing model with Alliance Medical. Patient feedback is hugely impressive with a 100% satisfaction rate for the environment and the free parking in the latest survey. The extra diagnostic capacity the trust has invested in has improved six-week wait performance by 14.3%.

"On the upper floors, the trust has brought together other diagnostic and outpatient services and enabled the delivery of one-stop appointment for patients. It has focused on using apprenticeships to create its own diagnostic workforce in the hardest to recruit areas. It is one of the bases for the Southwest Imaging Academy where they provide dedicated training lists in ultrasound. Patients are specially selected to meet clinician’s individual training needs, and the lists have extended appointment times. On our visit, Harry, an ST1 in Radiology, was being trained by Andy, and we are all gathered around an ultrasound training simulator.

"In Dermatology, the trust has rebuilt its service in the west pretty much from scratch. GPs, county-wide, can now use tele-dermatology to make routine referrals and ask questions on behalf of their patients. The referrals are reviewed by the trust’s clinical team, and the care is then provided, when appropriate, by a network of GPs with a special interest in Dermatology, with specialist care provided by the teams at Musgrove Park and Yeovil Hospitals. The service is now seeing hundreds of patients every month, much closer to home. It is also achieving the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard, the target introduced to replace the Two-Week Wait standard, setting a maximum 28-day wait for communication of a cancer diagnosis or ruling out of cancer for patients referred.

"The team at TDC has also completely rethought the way audiology services are delivered, and shared how they are continuing to improve access and outcomes for patients:

🔵 Performance has improved from 66% to 93% within six weeks.
🔵 Work is underway with RNID to introduce a self-referral portal, enabling patients to complete an online screening and be directed to the right pathway.
🔵 This is expected to reduce the number of follow-up appointments, which had grown by 150% and are mostly linked to hearing aid repairs.
🔵 A network of community clinics is being developed, staffed by volunteers with lived experience alongside trust colleagues, helping more patients learn to manage their hearing aids confidently.
🔵 The service is also being taken directly into nursing homes, with care home staff receiving training and support.
🔵 As these changes take effect, the trust expects to reduce follow-up outpatient attendances at hospital sites by 50%.

"There are so many services that Somerset FT can be proud of including their HSJ award winning mental health services. The trust really is living its values of kindness, respect, and teamwork for everyone every day.

"Thank you so much Rima, Peter, David and team for a totally brilliant visit."