A digital self-scheduling partnership delivered faster diagnostics, fewer missed appointments, and improved equity across outpatient radiology services.
Across the NHS, outpatient diagnostics continue to face rising demand, constrained capacity, and persistent inefficiencies in appointment management. In radiology services, high missed appointment rates and fragmented booking processes directly impact waiting times, patient experience, and clinical productivity.
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At Imperial College Healthcare Trust, a partnership with Dedalus has demonstrated how digitally enabled self-scheduling can materially improve access, efficiency, and health equity across outpatient radiology services.
The initiative implemented Dedalus Swiftqueue, integrated with Soliton’s Radiology+ Radiology Information System, utilising NHS Login, enabling patients to book, reschedule, and cancel appointments digitally, supported by automated communications and real-time slot availability.
Improving access and reducing inequality
A core objective was to reduce variation in access caused by traditional telephone-based booking systems, which disproportionately affect working patients, carers, older adults, and those with language or accessibility needs.
Dedalus Swiftqueue introduced a 24/7 self-service booking model with multilanguage support and mobile-first design, ensuring patients could engage with services at a time and place that suited them. Co-design with clinical and administrative teams ensured workflows aligned with radiology operations without adding administrative burden.
Significant improvements in DNA rates and capacity
The introduction of digital self-scheduling delivered substantial reductions in missed appointments across radiology services:
- Plain film DNA rates reduced from 12.2 per cent to 2.9 per cent (75 per cent reduction)
- DEXA (bone density scan) DNA rates reduced from 9 per cent to 2 per cent (78 per cent reduction)
- CDC imaging services saw reductions of more than 60 per cent
Across a service scheduling 100,000 appointments annually, reducing DNA rates from 8 per cent to 2 per cent equates to approximately 6,000 additional attended appointments each year without increasing clinical capacity.
This translates directly into improved use of diagnostic resources and reduced pressure on waiting lists.
Faster diagnosis through reduced time to examination
Alongside DNA reduction, the programme delivered significant improvements in time from referral to examination.
In DEXA services:
- DNA rate reduced from 9 per cent to 2 per cent
- Average time to examination reduced from 67 days to 35 days
- Annual activity increased from 6,600 to more than 8,000 examinations (20 per cent uplift)
In X-ray services:
- DNA rate reduced from 12.2 per cent to 2.9 per cent
- Average time to examination reduced from 15 days to 6 days
- Annual activity increased from 68,000 to more than 71,000 examinations
Combined, reduced missed appointments and improved scheduling efficiency resulted in more than 9,000 additional completed examinations annually, alongside significantly faster diagnostic turnaround times.
Patient experience and inclusion
Patients reported improved clarity, convenience, and control over their appointments, with particular benefit for working-age populations and carers.
Importantly, digital uptake was strong across all age groups, including patients over 70, demonstrating that inclusive design can reduce rather than reinforce digital exclusion.
Multichannel reminders, accessible design features, and NHS App integration ensured equitable engagement across diverse patient groups.
Operational efficiency and workforce impact
For every 3,000 appointments managed through the platform, approximately 250 hours of administrative time are saved through reduced telephone demand and manual scheduling activity.
Scaled across activity volumes, this equates to approximately one full-time equivalent (FTE) administrative role released for every ~23,000 appointments managed annually, based on reductions in scheduling workload.
This released capacity enables staff to focus on higher-value clinical coordination, improves responsiveness to patient needs, and reduces inefficiencies associated with missed appointments and short-notice rescheduling.
In turn, this additional capacity supports improved diagnostic throughput and contributes directly to reducing waiting times and strengthening referral to treatment performance through more timely use of available diagnostic slots.
System-wide value and scalability
The combined impact of reduced DNAs, faster diagnostics, and improved scheduling efficiency delivers system-wide benefits: shorter waiting lists, improved diagnostic throughput, and better use of constrained imaging capacity.
The model is now being adopted across multiple NHS organisations, demonstrating scalability beyond a single trust environment.
Conclusion
The partnership between Imperial College Healthcare Trust and Dedalus demonstrates that digital self-scheduling is not simply an operational enhancement but a mechanism for improving equity, accelerating diagnosis, and unlocking latent clinical capacity.
By reducing missed appointments, shortening time to examination, and improving patient access, Dedalus Swiftqueue provides a scalable model for transforming outpatient radiology services across the NHS.
