Philips and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust transform patient imaging services across the east of England with doubled scanning capacity in one hospital

Prior to this, the Trust faced the challenge of future-proofing its radiology services, which perform around 400,000 examinations a year. It wanted to develop an encompassing approach to ensure excellent care for the 1.2 million people it serves across Essex, and sought an innovative partner to support with the replacement of key diagnostic equipment. In 2021 the Trust selected Philips as its official radiology imaging equipment partner, agreeing a three-year contract with a strategic programme of work.

Key projects over the last three years have included the replacement of an aging CT scanner in the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, based at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital and part of the Trust, and the installation of a new CT scanner to support the emergency pathway at Southend University Hospital. One of the Trust’s oldest Plain Film X-ray machines has also been replaced at Southend and a vacant courtyard space has been repurposed into a new CT and MRI single-storey building facility at Basildon.

Leading on the design and build of each of these projects, Philips’ vision and innovative solutions to optimise space are already helping the Trust to achieve impressive results: 

• Increased scanning capacity by 50% with the additional CT in Southend, enabling the Trust to improve patient flow and make more timely diagnosis and treatment.
• Additional MRI capacity thanks to the new Courtyard Imaging Suite at Basildon, without affecting continuity of service, creating efficiency for staff and a positive environment for patients.
• Savings of approximately £500,000 per year, which would have been spent on third party mobile scanning units, with the addition of a third CT scanner in Southend.
• Improved privacy for patients and improved flow by designing new private areas to change before and after scans in both the CT Scanner Suite at Southend and the Courtyard Imaging Suite at Basildon.
• A calming environment to support radiographer teaching and learning in a new dedicated CT Scanner Suite at Southend, as well as an ideal space for specialist procedures such as guided biopsies.

The strategic partnership also meant the Trust could access expertise and wider specialist services within Philips, allowing the Trust’s estates, procurement and clinical teams to focus on other projects to improve patient care.

Philips’ Strategic Partnerships are long-term collaborations, delivered through a shared accountability model with joint commitment to goals, risk and performance. The partnership has seen Philips work closely with, and act as an extension to, the Trust’s teams, helping them solve clinical, patient and staff experiential, operational and financial challenges. Both companies look forward to continued success in the future.

For more information, read the full case study.