A collaboration between two Barts Health hospitals is set to improve access for patients needing vital heart scans.

Thanks to teams from Newham and St Bartholomew’s hospitals, patients being cared for at Newham now have access to specialised cardiac tomography (CT) imaging, without having to travel into central London.

In the past, outpatients referred by their cardiologist could expect to wait at least eight weeks for a scan.

Cardiovascular CT clinical lead Dr Emma Cheasty said: “This achievement epitomises our Trust values of collaboration and our shared ambition to improve access to specialised care for our east London communities. I want to pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of colleagues in launching this service. Going forward, we hope to expand the reach to all Barts Health locations.”

In eight months since the service began, almost 340 patients have been seen closer to home and waiting times have reduced.

Now, outpatients can expect to wait one to two weeks, and less than 48 hours for inpatients, making Newham’s wait times among the best in the country.

Patients are also discharged three days earlier on average, freeing up beds and reducing pressure on our other areas.

The scans are performed at Newham thanks to training provided by St Bartholomew’s Hospital staff, as part of Barts Heart Centre network.

Operational lead Tiago Fernandes said: “This is an amazing example of how teams can work together to improve patient experience, ensuring that our services meet the needs of our local community.”