Our Echo Clinical Operational Admin Team have been working hard behind the scenes to improve waiting times for echocardiograms. Thanks to their team efforts, 90% of patients are now seen within six weeks from referral, when at one point it was less than 50%. Chief Operating Officer, Jonny Hammond, thanked the team on CHFT Live saying “it's an incredible improvement.”

Echo Service Lead Rachel Wild, pictured second left, said: “Along with Michelle Foster, Mandy Beaumont, and the wider-Echo Team, we’ve worked extremely hard to reduce these waits so it’s amazing to actually see all our efforts pay off.

“We have had significant issues with both staffing alongside increasing diagnostics demand for the last 10-12 years, and it has been recognised as a national issue.

“Here at CHFT, we recognised the staffing issue before the NHS England plan to improve the workforce in our services, introducing our own training plan for learning progression posts. We now have four new accredited staff members and another due to sit their end point exam in January.

“We had great support from the management team. Without their support, the Echo Team would not have developed and grown in the way they have allowed us to.”

Left to Right, Specialist Physiologist Lukki, Rachel - Echo Service Lead, Specialist Physiologists Louise and Alison, Advanced Echo Lead Mandy, Admin Dani, Specialist Physiologists Jamal, Joe and Lucy.