Radiology reporting solutions for NHS trusts

Atlas Diagnostics provides flexible, fully managed radiology reporting services to help NHS trusts reduce reporting backlogs, maintain turnaround performance, and minimise clinical risk.

Our consultant radiologists and reporting radiographers deliver accurate, timely reporting across all major imaging modalities, either on-site or remotely through secure NHS-compliant teleradiology.

Whether you require a one-off backlog clearance or a long-term reporting partner, Atlas adapts to your service needs.

nationwide cover

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implementation (7 days or less)

7 Days

reporting accuracy

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nationwide cover

0 +

reporting accuracy

0 %

implementation (7 days or less)

7 Days

*Figures taken over an annual period

Overview of service

Atlas has a flexible approach and supports NHS radiology departments through:

Backlog reduction

Targeted reporting support to safely reduce accumulated diagnostic backlogs and mitigate clinical risk.

Ongoing managed reporting

Long-term partnerships providing consistent reporting capacity aligned to service demand and turnaround targets.

Secure teleradiology

Remote reporting delivered via encrypted, NHS-compliant systems that integrate seamlessly with trust PACS and RIS infrastructure.

Our reporting team :

Reporting radiographers

CT reporting
MRI reporting
Plain film X-ray reporting
DEXA reporting

Consultant radiologists

Specialist CT reporting
Specialist MRI reporting
Subspecialty expertise across diagnostic pathways

Case Study

Enhancing Plain Film Reporting Capacity Through a Bespoke Managed Service

The Challenge

Like many NHS organisations across the UK, this North-West based Trust who we have been in partnership with Atlas for 10+ years faced increasing pressure on its plain film reporting service as imaging demand continued to outpace reporting capacity.

Contributing factors included:

Insufficient substantive reporting staff
Rising patient activity and imaging volumes
National NHS initiatives to improve diagnostic pathways and patient outcomes
Ongoing challenges meeting internal KPIs and reporting targets

Alongside additional capacity, the Trust wanted a more collaborative alternative to traditional remote outsourcing. They specifically sought an on-site reporting presence that allowed radiographers, clinicians, and referrers to engage directly with reporting staff for advice and support.

Atlas Diagnostics was selected for its ability to deliver a bespoke managed reporting service combining operational flexibility, clinical integration, and high-quality reporting standards at a cost comparable to substantive staffing models.

The Solution

Atlas Diagnostics has implemented a fully managed plain film reporting service tailored to the Trust’s operational and clinical requirements. Reporting radiographers work closely with the Trust to provide responsive, high-quality support while integrating seamlessly into existing radiology pathways.

The service is designed not only to increase reporting capacity, but also to improve collaboration and accessibility between reporting staff and referrers through a visible, clinically engaged model. We are also on demand and can ramp up/down the requirements as needed.

Over the course of the partnership, Atlas has reported a substantial proportion of the Trust’s plain film reports, scaling to over 200k reports per annum, and adapt flexibly to changing service demands, including increasing capacity to reduce backlogs and maintain agreed turnaround times.

The Trust commented:

“We have had a long working relationship with Atlas who have reported a substantial portion of our chest x-rays for many years. The team are excellent. They are very responsive to changing needs – be that putting in more capacity to reduce backlogs or proactively ensuring the worklists are managed within the agreed contract parameters.

The reporting radiographers are committed to learning and education and are a pleasure to work with.”

As part of a local initiative to improve lung cancer outcomes through AI-supported diagnostics, Atlas further evolved the service to support accelerated cancer pathways and urgent reporting requirements.

Key elements of the solution include:

Fully managed reporting service with flexible capacity – on demand and scalable to meet requirements.

Dedicated support for AI-triaged Critical and High Priority chest X-rays, reported within 24 hours.

Compliance with local chest X-ray coding protocols. Our turnaround time KPI’s are 100%.

Reporting radiographers qualified as non-medical referrers, enabling direct referral for CT Thorax or CT Thorax and Abdomen where clinically indicated.

Fast-tracked pathways supporting CT imaging within 48 hours and onward referral to lung cancer teams.
Rapid-response urgent reporting, including same-day reporting for priority examinations, often within one hour.

The Impact

Since introducing the Atlas managed reporting service, the Trust has improved reporting efficiency, reduced operational pressures, and strengthened diagnostic pathways for patients requiring urgent investigation.

The additional reporting capacity and responsive service model has helped reduce reporting backlogs, maintain more consistent turnaround times, and provide clinicians with faster access to critical diagnostic information.

Outcomes included:

Significant reduction in plain film reporting backlogs – Atlas report over 200k plain films per annum for the Trust.
Improved turnaround times for routine and urgent examinations.
Same-day reporting for urgent patient cases.
Enhanced patient outcomes through accelerated diagnostic pathways.
Improved support for lung cancer detection and escalation pathways.
Greater flexibility in managing imaging demand and operational pressures – our service can be scaled up or down as required.
Improved ability to achieve internal KPIs and service targets.
Strong collaborative relationships between Atlas reporting teams and Trust clinicians and referrers.

The Challenge:

Atlas Diagnostics provides specialist radiology Clinical Support Workers to NHS Trusts across the North West and Yorkshire, helping services manage increasing demand and workforce pressures.

Over the past five years, the demand for dedicated Clinical Support Workers within radiology has continued to grow, with Trusts requiring additional support to help their clinical teams deliver efficient, high-quality patient care.

Radiology departments face ongoing pressures to maintain patient flow and manage growing workloads, while ensuring sonographers and wider clinical teams can focus on their specialist responsibilities. Trusts require reliable, experienced support staff who can integrate seamlessly into existing teams and provide valuable assistance across the patient pathway.

The Solution

Atlas provides radiology-specific Clinical Support Workers to NHS Trusts 7 days a week, providing flexible additional workforce capacity to support the delivery of radiology services.

Our Clinical Support Workers work alongside sonographers and wider clinical teams, providing vital assistance with patient care and supporting the smooth flow of patients through the department. By taking on key supporting responsibilities, they help clinical teams work more efficiently and allow specialist clinicians to focus on delivering high-quality diagnostic services.

Clinical Support Workers are now one of Atlas’s biggest areas of growth, with the service delivering approximately 25,000 clinical support worker hours each year and onboarding an average of five Clinical Support Workers every month.

Key elements of the solution include:

Provision of specialist radiology Clinical Support Workers 7 days a week.
Flexible workforce support tailored to individual Trust requirements.
Approximately 25,000 Clinical Support Worker hours delivered each year.
An average of five new Clinical Support Workers onboarded every month.
Vital assistance to sonographers and wider clinical teams.
Support with patient care and efficient patient flow.
Seamless integration with existing Trust clinical teams.
A dedicated workforce model designed specifically around the needs of radiology services.

The Impact:

Through Atlas’s Clinical Support Worker service, NHS Trusts benefit from additional workforce capacity that helps reduce pressure on existing clinical teams and improve the efficiency of radiology services.

Atlas Clinical Support Workers integrate seamlessly within Trust teams, providing valuable day-to-day assistance to sonographers and other clinical professionals. Their support helps services manage patient flow more effectively, reduce operational pressures and maximise the capacity of specialist clinical staff.

What our Sonographers say…

“Having a Clinical Support Worker alongside us makes a huge difference. They focus on supporting and caring for the patient throughout their appointment, alerting me to any issues that arise. This allows me to give my full attention to performing the scan, ensuring an accurate examination and timely results for both the patient and their clinician.”

Chris Hooson – Ultrasound Lead

What our Sonographers say…

“Having a Clinical Support Worker is essential to the smooth day-to-day running of our ultrasound service. They play a vital role in managing the patient journey, from preparing examination rooms and assisting patients, to coordinating with porters and arranging for inpatients to attend the department.

Just as importantly, they help patients feel comfortable, supported, and at ease throughout their visit. Their assistance allows sonographers to focus entirely on delivering high-quality diagnostic imaging and producing accurate reports. Their contribution is invaluable in keeping clinics running efficiently, ensuring patients receive the best possible care while appointments remain on schedule.”

Buna Sen – Sonographer

Testimonial

“Atlas have reported a substantial portion of our chest x-rays for many years. The team are excellent. They are very responsive to changing needs – be that putting in more capacity to reduce backlogs or proactively ensuring the worklists are managed within the agreed contract parameters. The reporting radiographers are committed to learning and education and are a pleasure to work with.”

Dr Anna Sharman

Consultant Thoracic Radiologist

Lead for thoracic interventional radiology

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

This long-standing partnership demonstrates Atlas’ ability to provide responsive, reliable reporting services aligned to NHS operational requirements.

Clinical governance & compliance

Clinical confidence

All Atlas reporters are:

UK-based and fully GMC/HCPC-registered
Experienced in NHS diagnostic pathways
Covered by appropriate indemnity
Deployed under CQC-registered governance frameworks

Ensuring safe, compliant service delivery aligned to NHS standards.

Market leading audit

We monitor and audit Atlas team members across all modalities, each month, taking that pressure off you and ensuring the highest standards of service delivery.

Radiology Events and Learning Meetings (REALM)

Atlas facilitates weekly discrepancy review forums that promote open clinical discussion and shared learning.

Insights are distributed through:

Monthly newsletters
Quarterly education events
Shared best-practice and learning across partner organisations

Why choose Atlas?

Clinically led by experienced consultant radiologists

UK’s largest dedicated secondary care ultrasound provider

Specialist sonographer workforce (not generalist locums)

Reliable high-volume scanning capacity

Robust clinical governance and audit systems

Trusted NHS partner since 2011

Need support with radiology capacity?

Speak directly with our clinical team to discuss ultrasound services, reporting support, or backlog reduction for your trust.