Unlocking diagnostic capacity to enable system-wide delivery across an Integrated Care System
- Healthcare
- CDC
- Trust Integration
Executive summary
Health systems are under growing pressure to increase diagnostic capacity while improving equity, safety and speed of access to care. When diagnostic services are fragmented across organisations, capacity goes underused and patients wait longer than they should.
This case study shows how joining up data and workflows across organisations can unlock existing capacity, improve patient safety and deliver faster access to diagnostics without introducing new systems. The same principles apply across Integrated Care Systems and other regulated environments seeking to scale services while keeping patients at the centre of decision-making.
"As with most NHS programmes, there is not a cookie cutter approach. The concept that we have developed with Answer Digital is now being blueprinted for use at other organisations, and I hope what we have done at Gateshead and Newcastle is helpful for others embarking on similar journeys. However, the most important thing to make sure of – on whatever path you decide to take– is that it aligns with your overall PEP strategy and that you always keep what is best for your patients front of mind".
David Thompson Head of Digital Solutions, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The problem we solved
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operate in a region experiencing some of the highest levels of social deprivation and poorest health outcomes in the UK. Demand for diagnostic services, including imaging, spirometry and point-of-care testing, was increasing, particularly for time-critical pathways such as cancer diagnostics.
Despite this demand, diagnostic capacity across the two trusts was underutilised. Separate systems and processes meant that resources could not be easily shared, leading to long waiting times for patients and inefficiencies for staff. This fragmentation made it difficult to deliver faster, more equitable access to care at scale.
The trusts needed a way to unlock their combined diagnostic capacity, support NHS England’s ambition to deliver 17 million diagnostic appointments by 2025, and ensure patient safety and data accuracy across organisational boundaries.
What we did
Answer Digital worked with Gateshead Health and Newcastle Hospitals to design and deliver an integrated approach to diagnostics across the two trusts.
We partnered closely with clinical, operational and digital teams to understand how patients moved through diagnostic pathways and where system boundaries were creating delay. A shared data and integration approach was designed to connect diagnostic systems across organisations, enabling real-time visibility of capacity and coordination of services at the Community Diagnostic Centre.
A critical part of the work focused on safely matching patient records between the two trusts. We designed and implemented a patient matching component that ensured patients could be accurately identified, registered and booked across organisational systems. This included automated matching using national identifiers, alongside a structured manual review process for partial matches to maintain the highest standards of patient safety.
The long-term impact
The integrated solution enables Gateshead and Newcastle to coordinate diagnostic services across organisational boundaries, unlocking existing capacity and reducing waiting times for patients.
Automation of patient registration and matching is expected to reduce administrative effort by an estimated 25 to 40%, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Improved data accuracy and verification processes reduce the risk of misidentification, strengthening patient safety throughout the diagnostic pathway.
The solution supports multiple diagnostic services, including radiology, cardiology, spirometry and electrocardiography, creating a consistent and efficient experience for both patients and staff. Importantly, the approach is scalable and has been designed so it can be adopted by other trusts with minimal additional support.
The work has already begun to inform wider NHS adoption, with the solution being blueprinted for use by other organisations embarking on similar programmes.
What we can do for you
If your organisation is looking to increase diagnostic capacity, reduce waiting times or improve safety across organisational boundaries, we can help.
Answer Digital works with Integrated Care Systems and NHS organisations to design joined-up services that unlock existing capacity, improve patient outcomes and scale safely. We focus on practical solutions that work with current systems, align with clinical priorities and keep patient safety at the centre of delivery.