South London hospitals slash scan waits after tech boost

South London patients are set to benefit from quicker access to vital medical scans. King's College London has been working hard to slash waiting times at St Thomas' Hospital.

This means thousands of patients who need advanced imaging are now getting seen much faster. It's a huge relief for those anxiously waiting for answers.

The King's School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences has been at the forefront of these improvements. They run advanced imaging facilities, including the PET Centre and nine MRI systems.

These facilities are crucial for both patient care and cutting-edge research. They help over 20,000 patients every year.

Referrals for cardiac MRI scans shot up by nearly 50 per cent in 2025. This surge in demand meant waiting times were stretching beyond the six-week target.

"Long waits can be distressing for patients who are often anxious for answers and have already waited for some time to see a specialist after GP referral," said Dr Sharon Giles, Director of Clinical & Research Imaging Operations.

To tackle this, the school launched a focused initiative. They brought in extra capacity from a mobile MRI provider for 20 weeks. Weekend scanning was also expanded.

Additional consultants were brought in to report on the extra scans. This helped get routine waiting times back under six weeks for most patients.

"Our routine waiting list is now back under control and we continue to receive excellent quality feedback from our patients," Dr Giles added. "We’re working hard to maintain this position, even as referrals remain high."

The PET Centre also saw success. New, state-of-the-art PET scanners have been installed.

These new Siemens Biograph Vision Quadra systems are much faster. This means patients spend less time in the scanner. More slots are now available each day.

This upgrade has helped the team recover and even improve on previous performance levels. Better data quality also means the team can more accurately identify patients needing urgent cancer pathway scans.

Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Head of School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, said: "By responding proactively to service pressures and investing in the most advanced imaging technologies, we are strengthening our ability to deliver world‑class, patient‑centred care and research."

These improvements across MRI and PET services are helping to reduce delays. They are also improving the patient experience and supporting earlier, more informed clinical decisions.

Big Picture Context:

NHS waiting lists for diagnostic tests in England have been a major concern. In January 2024, the latest figures showed that over 1.7 million people were waiting for a diagnostic test. While this specific initiative focuses on advanced imaging at one hospital, it highlights the ongoing efforts across the NHS to improve access and reduce these critical waiting times for patients.