New Doppler scan service at Rochdale Infirmary

Hannah Buggey, Clinical vascular scientist from the Independent Vascular Service (IVS), and patient Bernard Kelly receiving treatment at Rochdale Infirmary.

Patients at Rochdale Infirmary who are diagnosed with suspected Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) will now benefit from a new Doppler scan service.

A Doppler scan is a special type of ultrasound scan that can be used to find out how fast blood is flowing through a blood vessel. This helps doctors identify when blood flow is slowed or blocked, which could be caused by a blood clot.

The Doppler scan service means that patients with symptoms of DVT presenting at the Infirmary’s Clinical Assessment Unit (CAU) and Urgent Care Centre can be usually booked in to be scanned on the same day.

The service will help reduce patient waiting times, improve patient care and patient flow on the CAU, and avoid patients having to travel to Fairfield General Hospital for a scan. Before the new Doppler service was introduced, patients could only be booked in to one of six appointments every Wednesday, and once these appointments were filled, patients had to travel to Fairfield.

The new patient focused service is now open four afternoons at Rochdale Infirmary between Monday and Friday and the number of appointments patients can be booked onto has greatly increased from six to 20. As a result patient waiting times at the CAU have already improved as patients can now be managed more effectively.

Sister Louisa Harkness-Hudson, clinical matron at Rochdale Infirmary, said: “With the old Doppler service at Rochdale Infirmary once the six slots per week were filled patients had to travel to Fairfield General Hospital. This was not very patient focussed and patients often had to wait for a number of days before they were scanned. The new Doppler service is far superior and not only improves the patient experience, but it also improves patient safety and patient care. This is done by providing the patients with a much more timely diagnosis, which vastly improves the delivery of their care. This new service is excellent news for Rochdale Infirmary and our patients.”