Echo Scans Additional Services

The Echo department is currently working with a short fall of three whole time equivalent (WTE) qualified staff. The department also runs at a deficit to allow other areas to maintain provision such as the Cardiac Cath Labs (emergency on call) and CIU at James Cook and The Friarage. The Echo team currently lose collectively 0.75WTE to help support these other areas.

This is further exacerbated by the opening of the diagnostic hub and spoke site in May 2025, a post which South Tees cannot recruit to and requires displacement of staff from the main site.

There is national shortage of Echocardiographers, and the Echo's team have had adverts out for the position three times but been unsuccessful.

As the DM01 figures are highlighting, performance against the six-week wait is significantly below target and this will continue to reduce without urgent implementation of additional capacity. This will not only affect new patients but a large amount of review patients within cardiology service and across the Trust, for areas such as Oncology.

The capacity of inpatient service has also been affected; waiting times for inpatient echo has increased to 72-96 hours. This is affecting the patient flow through the Trust as the department provide a service to all the Trusts specialities. Thus the need to award to a supplier.