Transforming Radiology Booking with Swiftqueue at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Fragmented workflows, limited image sharing capabilities, patient appointments challenges, and underused diagnostic capacity

Historically, each hospital site operated its own digital systems, resulting in fragmented workflows, limited image sharing capabilities, and challenges in managing patient appointments and underused diagnostic capacity. This siloed approach made it difficult to function as a unified organisation.  Booking processes relied heavily on manual letters and phone calls, resulting in delays, missed appointments, and administrative strain.

The Trust’s Digital Diagnostics Programme is focused on modernising patient pathways and improving operational efficiency across The Trust’s three hospital sites. A key component of this transformation is the implementation of online booking systems, alongside the integration of AI-driven tools to support frontline clinicians and enhance diagnostic reporting.   As part of the Programme, the Trust implemented Swiftqueue, an online booking system, to streamline radiology appointments and improve patient access, supporting the NHS’ major transformation to recover elective care performance and deliver a more responsive patient-centred system, with elective care being increasingly personalised and digital.

Significant alignment with systems, workflows, and clinical teams

One of the key challenges in implementing a new booking system across the Trust was going to be the coordination across three distinct hospital sites. While the Trust operates as a single organisation, each site has its own systems, workflows, and clinical teams – making alignment a significant undertaking.  Each site required tailored coordination, especially for examinations tied to specific equipment or departments. For example, some diagnostic imaging could only be performed on a single machine located in the Emergency Department, requiring careful planning and system mapping.

Prior to the implementation of Swiftqueue a major challenge was the inefficiency in booking routine appointments. Patients often had to call in to secure a slot, leading to long waits and underutilised capacity.  Swiftqueue has significantly improved this process by enabling patients to self-book at their convenience, reducing missed appointments and improving throughput.

Swiftqueue used to clear backlog of 1,500 patients awaiting tests

At Broomfield Hospital, the Trust faced a backlog of approximately 1,500 patients awaiting tests and follow up appointments?. Swiftqueue was used to manage this backlog, allowing patients to self-book appointments. This approach proved highly successful and helped clear the backlog efficiently.

Budgetary constraints remain a major challenge. While demand for diagnostic imaging continues to rise, NHS budgets have not kept pace. This has placed significant strain on booking teams, who are expected to manage increasing volumes with the same staffing levels and resources as in previous years. Whether patients are calling in or staff are calling out, both approaches create bottlenecks and long wait times.

Swiftqueue has helped to alleviate these pressures by removing the need for direct contact during booking. Patients can book outside of working hours, reducing the burden on staff and improving access for those managing work or family commitments.

The flexibility of the solution has removed a major barrier in patient engagement and scheduling efficiency, empowering patients by giving them control over their scheduling. For example, if a patient receives a booking message during the day but cannot respond immediately, they can book later in the evening without needing to speak to a staff member. Initially, there were concerns around managing urgent referrals, so the Trust focused on booking routine appointments only. However, routine patients are able to book themselves faster than the booking team are able to schedule the urgent patients, so plans are in place to scale up the Swiftqueue solution.

Flexibility of Swiftqueue has removed a major barrier in patient engagement and scheduling efficiency

With Trusts being expected to empower patients with greater choice and control by surfacing their care options, managing appointments, and communicating through digital platforms like the NHS App and PEPs, the flexibility of Swiftqueue has removed a major barrier in patient engagement and scheduling efficiency, by empowering patients by giving them control over their scheduling. They are significantly more likely to attend and it improves their satisfaction. For example, if a patient receives a booking message during the day but cannot respond immediately, they can book later in the evening without needing to speak to a staff member.

Not only are patients empowered to manage their own appointments, but the release of clerical time is allowing the teams to focus scheduling more complex appointments, impacting utilisation across multiple modalities.

The benefits of Swiftqueue have been substantial

Patients are empowered to manage their own appointments, clerical teams are relieved of manual booking tasks, and radiology staff can focus on clinical work. This is the first solution our Digital Diagnostics team has implemented with such a low burden on staff and such a high return in patient experience.

The operational benefits have been particularly well received by radiology staff. With Swiftqueue, appointment lists are consistently full, especially during additional sessions introduced to meet rising demand.  Radiology teams appreciate arriving to a fully booked list, enabling them to focus on delivering care rather than managing scheduling gaps.

Clinical engagement was a key part of the implementation strategy. The project team involved modality leads, clerical leads, and clinical leads in the testing phase, simulating real patient workflows.

The system has improved workflow quality, reduced administrative burden, and enhanced the patient experience—all without disrupting clinical routines.

Stuart Craig, Head of Radiology Digital and Information Systems said:

“If we can introduce something that doesn’t impact clinicians at all, and just makes the process smoother, that’s a win.”

Over three thousand fewer calls are being made to the hospital each month

One of the most transformative outcomes of Swiftqueue has been the shift away from traditional telephone-based appointment booking. Previously, the process involved phoning every patient individually, hoping they would catch the patient at a convenient time—often resulting in multiple phone calls and delays to the patient successfully being seen.

The impact on call volumes has been substantial.  Over three thousand fewer calls are being made to the hospital each month. This has significantly reduced pressure on booking teams and freed up resources for other patient-facing tasks.

Appointment waiting times have also improved whereas previously patients might wait several days just to get through to the Trust to book an appointment. With Swiftqueue, they can book immediately upon receiving their invite—whether for the next day or several weeks ahead, depending on their preference.  Patients are booking themselves in the day after referral, without any intervention from the clerical teams, dramatically accelerating the diagnostic pathway.  While most patients engage digitally, fail-safes are built in for those who don’t. If a patient doesn’t respond to a booking invite within 10 days, they’re added to a scheduling list for clerical follow-up—ensuring no one is left behind.

Swiftqueue contributes to the Trust’s low DNA rate of close to 3%

Across the NHS with every missed appointment representing a lost clinical opportunity, increased backlogs and delays to treatment for other patients Swiftqueue has contributed to the Trust maintaining a low DNA (Did Not Attend) rate, which is consistently below 5%, and often closer to 3%.  Its flexibility allows patients to reschedule if needed, while built-in rules prevent excessive last-minute cancellations. For example, patients can rebook once, but not on the day before or the day of their appointment -encouraging commitment and reducing appointment churn.  Across the NHS, DNA rates in outpatient settings typically range from 5% to 10% but can exceed 15% in some services and regions.

These improvements have not only enhanced patient experience but also ensured that radiology sessions are fully booked and efficiently utilised. The result is a more responsive, streamlined, and patient-centred diagnostic service.

In summary, Swiftqueue has not only delivered measurable improvements in patient access and operational efficiency—it has also transformed how digital innovation is perceived and implemented across the Trust.

The future of Swiftqueue and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

While it was originally designed for clinic-based workflows, the early investment in rigorous testing has resulted in a scalable, patient-friendly solution that has the potential to transform diagnostic booking across the organisation.

The Trust is now actively planning to expand Swiftqueue into additional modalities and services:

Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs)

With new CDCs coming online, two going live imminently and two more planned in the next 18 months, Swiftqueue will play a key role in managing increased demand efficiently and digitally.  While some CDCs may have limited modality availability, the goal is to ensure that patients can book appointments at CDCs in the same way they do across the rest of the Trust.  With Swiftqueue enabling faster conversion from referral to scheduled appointment, this is especially valuable in high-demand areas like CDCs.

Other Modalities

The team is exploring expanding Swiftqueue to CT, MRI, Ultrasound and other diagnostic services, aiming to create a unified online booking experience across the Trust – enabling booking to be completed quickly, digitally and independently.

Looking ahead, the Trust is planning to maintain its current Soliton-based radiology workflows even as a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) is introduced. Integration between Swiftqueue and the RIS will be essential to ensure continuity. For example, appointment notifications are already passed downstream to order comms systems, allowing referrers to see when patients are scheduled. This kind of interoperability will be critical as the digital ecosystem evolves.