Collaboration between an NHS University Teaching Hospital and independent hospital to maintain CT colonography service provision during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Our trust performed CTCs at 93% of the capacity of the previous year, scanning 1265 patients in 2020, compared with 1348 in 2019. We describe the changes made to our service to achieve this, which included collaboration with the colorectal surgical team to prioritise existing CTC patients according to faecal-immunochemical tests and full blood count results, and the associated challenges which included image transfer delays and patient attendance for scans. Furthermore, the endoscopy and radiology services used the opportunity created by co-location at the same hospital site to provide a same day incomplete colonoscopy and staging service for optically confirmed cancers. Collaboration between the NHS and independent sector allowed us to achieve continuity of service provision during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic without substituting unprepared CT abdomen and pelvis instead of the more sensitive CTC.