PenRAD Imaging Network newsletter
August 2026
Welcome
Welcome to the Summer edition of the PenRAD newsletter.
October 2026 will mark the fifth anniversary of PenRAD. Much of our focus over the past two months has been on the significant strategic decision surrounding the replacement of our shared RIS system, particularly in the context of different EPR suppliers being adopted across Cornwall and Devon.
There is unlikely to be a perfect solution, and some degree of compromise will be required from all stakeholders. Our aim is to provide comprehensive analysis and clear information to support senior decision-makers as they work towards a way forward this autumn.
Like a broken record, I find myself once again highlighting the continued growth in demand for imaging services, with no signs of any meaningful slowdown. Unsurprisingly, trusts are exploring ways to improve productivity and are increasingly looking at AI-enabled solutions to help meet this challenge.
While we have successfully expanded our workforce, growth in staffing continues to lag behind the rising demand for services, and I recognise that many of you will feel this pressure within your own teams.
We remain committed to sharing best practice and fostering collaboration across the region. The network continues to be an excellent vehicle for bringing organisations together, learning from one another, and delivering improvements for patients and staff alike.
Thank you for your continued support. Please do get in touch if there are issues you feel the network could help address, or if you would like to become more involved in our work.
How the network is performing
Thank you to everyone across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly who supports imaging services in the peninsula. With your help, we continue to make good progress as a network in delivering projects, joined-up procurement, and creating savings for all four trusts.
Our infographic above captures some of these highlights and you can read more details on the website.
Digital infrastructure review
PenRAD held a face-to-face workshop at the South West Imaging Training Academy on 20 April with over 90 attendees from all trusts, including Radiologists, Radiographers, admin, IT and operational colleagues, as well as some referring clinicians.
The aim of the day was to discuss how to best secure a shared digital architecture for radiology as two different EPRs are deployed in Devon and Cornwall.
There were presentations from EPIC, Intelerad and three RIS (radiology information system) providers - Magentus, AptVision and Soliton.
It was recognised that more information was needed to make a final recommendation on the best way forward - both in terms of the functionality of EPIC Radiant as a RIS and the potential to deliver the necessary integration without a shared RIS.
A survey to gauge stakeholder views, showed a 69% preference for retaining a shared RIS and wide support for PenRAD to gather more information. This work is now underway with the aim of informing a final recommendation in August 2026.
Shared Insourced Reporting
The Shared Insourced Reporting Programme (SIRP) will soon pass its two-year anniversary and we have published a short annual report, detailing the volumes and savings from the programme so far.
Virtual desktop go-live for PROC
Peninsula Radiology On-Call (PROC) is the Radiology Resident led, out‑of‑hours reporting service, providing urgent scan reporting seven days a week between 9pm and 9am.
After a series of pilots, the regional PROC central VDI (virtual desk top integration) solution went live in mid-June.
This is a much improved system to enable our PROC team to access and report images/studies all from one virtual desktop without having to log in to multiple instances of PACS (picture archiving and communication system).
The system also enables a full record of previous relevant studies to be available online without the need to go looking for them.
As an additional benefit, this system enables registrars to log in from other locations without the need to travel - this is being established for our Taunton trainees at the academy who would normally need to attend in Exeter for their shift.
In addition we are also continue to develop options for a call management system either through MS teams or other products to help free up their time.
Discover Diagnostics careers events
We are planning the next series of career events in our ‘Discover Diagnostics’ series for this autumn/winter. The first will be held at the South West Imaging Training Academy in Plymouth on Saturday 14 November.
Morning session, 10am - 12 noon: Book here
Afternoon session, 1-3pm: Book here
Click the links for more details and to book a place.
The events are held in collaboration with hospital trusts and are designed to inspire students and young people to consider a diagnostics career in healthcare. They offer the opportunity to meet and chat with a range of healthcare colleagues, take part in interactive workshops and discover more about the careers on offer.
> Read more about our Discover Diagnostics events
PIPE project
The data collected for the peninsula imaging productivity and efficiency (PIPE) project in February 2026 has now been analysed and shared with CT, MRI and NOUS modality leads, Radiology Managers / Service Leads, Specialty Directors and the PenRAD Board.
The final report is being finalised and will be circulated to key stakeholders in August. Productivity (patients per hour) in February 2026 largely aligned with 2024/25 National Imaging Data Collection (NIDC) findings i.e. at, slightly above or below national targets:
Productivity (scans per hour)
| RCHT | RD (East) | RD (North) | TSDFT | UHPT* | |
| Patients | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.9 | - |
| Exams | 4.9 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | - |
| RCHT | RD (East) | RD (North) | TSDFT | UHPT | |
| Patients | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Exams | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| RCHT | RD (East) | RD (North) | TSDFT | UHPT* | |
| Patients | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.25 | 2.7 | - |
| Exams | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.1 | - |
*No data for CT and NOUS received
Radiographers working in these modalities identified many causes impacting patient throughput including exam complexity, inadequate patient preparation by wards, staff training and learners in the scanning environment and DNAs. Administrative issues, staffing shortfalls and appointment cancellations were consistent themes across all sites.
Wider circulation of PIPE project outcomes, modality level sharing of best practice and improvement actions including introduction of text messaging, self-booking of appointments, review of booking processes, staffing skill mix and capacity are ongoing.
The PenRAD Board approved the presentation of the PIPE project outcomes to NHS England, recommended that trusts review their local findings, consider opportunities for improvement and sharing of best practice and use the results to inform future diagnostic imaging planning and investment decisions.
The PenRAD Board requested that PIPE project data collection be repeated in February 2027.
Allied Health Professions (AHP) Day
Make your radiography voice heard in celebration of AHP Day on 14 October.
Development of the new AHP strategy (2027-2032) under six key themes is now in progress and NHS England wants to hear your views.
Radiographers are the second largest Allied Health Profession and the Society of Radiographers is encouraging everyone working in the field (students, support workers, assistant practitioners, radiographers, managers, educators, researchers, retirees) to contribute and make sure that the radiography workforce is strongly represented.
There are more details and resources in the 'Workshop in a Box' pack, available on the National AHP Virtual Hub on Futures.
Closing date for responses: 5pm, Friday 18 September.
Non-medical referrers digital management solution
The peninsula non-medical referrers (NMR) management policy has been agreed by three of the four trusts to date. The number of scopes of practice has been significantly reduced, with extensive work undertaken to standardise the NMR data set to enable collation of a single NMR database across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Training materials are being uploaded into the NHS Learning Hub and the first iteration of the digital management tool should be ready for piloting by the end of August.
NHS England recently met other imaging networks and trusts working on NMR management improvements. PenRAD has been identified as a forerunner in this key work.
Order communications study
The Peninsula Diagnostic Networks (pathology and imaging) are running an NHS England‑funded feasibility study to explore the potential for having a single shared order communications system for orders placed by referrers outside of the acute trusts, across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
With input from clinicians and administrative staff from GP practices, community services, mental health providers and independent providers, the project will explore how a future single shared solution may enable orders to be placed and routed to the correct provider and processed quickly and seamlessly within the patient record, avoiding additional workload or multiple system log-ins.
Artificial Intelligence Development Fund project
Funded through the AI Diagnostic Fund (AIDF), an AI diagnostic tool for analysing chest CT scans for suspected lung cancer was rolled out at all five NHS trusts in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in 2025, co-ordinated
by PenRAD.
An evaluation, led by Health Innovation South West, explored clinician experience of the software, considering implementation, usability and acceptability, alongside perceived effects on diagnostic accuracy, image triage, and the speed and efficiency of review and reporting processes.
The report gave feedback and recommendations on the procurement, implementation and training. For the tool itself from Qure.ai, some clinicians noted the volumetry was useful, but the high sensitivity for nodule detection led to a large number of false-positives. Trust, confidence and satisfaction was therefore low.
The programme has now ended and these findings will also inform a national evaluation by NHS England from all of the AIDF projects to develop learning for potential future artificial intelligence innovations.
Meet the team
Caroline Dunphy, Shared Insourced Reporting Programme (SIRP) Lead
I joined the PenRAD team on secondment from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust over two and a half years ago to lead the Shared Insourced Reporting Programme (SIRP). You can read more about the programme in our annual report (see above).
Since then, I have been fortunate to represent PenRAD at numerous national conferences and meetings, sharing our experiences and learning with colleagues across the NHS.
More recently, I have started a new role with NHS England's national Diagnostics Digital Capability Team, supporting and advising imaging networks throughout the country on the implementation of insourcing models and cross-site image sharing solutions across their organisations.
I’m Irish but have lived and worked in Devon for the past 27 years. Throughout my career in Plymouth, I have held a number of leadership roles, including Lead Radiographer for the Interventional Radiology Service and, later Principal Radiographer.
Outside of work, I love exploring the great outdoors, embracing all things nature, and sharing adventures with my insanely cute (and slightly spoiled) spaniel best pal, Nelly.
South West Imaging Training Academy (SWITA) newsletter
SWITA has launched a new quarterly newsletter. In the first issue is news about:
- A report on the SWITA Summit in May, bringing key partners together to reflect on progress, share ideas and explore the future training needs of the imaging workforce across the South West.
- The first year of SWITA's successful ultrasound hubs and spokes in Somerset and Bristol.
- All the latest news and advance notice of upcoming study days and events.
Data update
Activity
| Total demand | Total activity | |
|---|---|---|
 +3% |
+3% |
|
| 12 months to date | 1,774,808 | 1,588,940 |
| Previous 12 months | 1,722,111 | 1,538,051 |
The selected data above is for all four PenRAD trusts in the year to date (end May 2026).
Outpatient and GP data
| Urgency | June-May 2025 | June-May 2026 | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-week wait (2-week target) | 84.7% | 83.8% | -0.9% |
| Urgent (6-week target) | 89.5% | 89.5% | 0% |
| Routine (6-week target) | 77.7% | 78.3% | +0.6% |
| Urgency | June-May 2025 | June-May 2026 | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-week wait (2-week target) | 80.4% | 81.9% | +1.5% |
| Urgent (5-day target) | 84.0% | 81.5% | -2.5% |
| Routine (14-day target) | 97.4% | 94.6% | -2.8% |
