Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made history by becoming the first NHS organization to implement Sectra’s enterprise imaging service using a public cloud platform. This innovative deployment has demonstrated that patient imaging data can be securely accessed from the cloud as efficiently as from on-premise storage.
Radiology teams at Homerton Healthcare have been reaping the benefits of this service since the summer, enabling them to analyze and report on thousands of patient scans crucial for accurate diagnoses. With approximately 250,000 imaging reports generated each year, the trust has seen firsthand how cloud technology can streamline and enhance their workflow.
PACS manager, Adham Nicola, expressed the trust’s success in pushing the boundaries of cloud adoption within the NHS, noting the positive feedback received from radiologists on the system’s reliability, security, and performance. The subscription-based Sectra One Cloud model has equipped staff with new tools and features, such as the chat tool for image sharing and orthopaedic templating for surgical planning, leading to increased efficiency and collaboration.
Furthermore, by utilizing business intelligence tools and cross-site reporting functionality, Homerton Healthcare is laying the foundation for enhanced regional collaboration in specialized areas like paediatric and stroke radiology. This scalable and innovative deployment marks a significant milestone in the trust’s imaging strategy, setting the stage for future adoption of enterprise imaging among North East London Health and Care Partnership trusts.
IT director, Niall Canavan, underscores the potential for closer collaboration and access to expertise enabled by cloud-based imaging, particularly in regions with limited specialist resources. The success of Homerton Healthcare serves as a benchmark for other NHS trusts looking to transition to the public cloud, with Sectra committed to sharing insights and best practices to facilitate technology adoption and enhance operational efficiency.
As Sectra continues to expand its presence in the UK healthcare sector, including a recent contract with 15 NHS boards in Scotland, the transformative impact of cloud-based imaging technology is becoming increasingly evident. The pioneering work done by Homerton Healthcare exemplifies the possibilities of cloud adoption in healthcare, paving the way for improved patient care and operational excellence across the NHS.
