Information for referrers

MRI scans

Tests

All appropriate contrast and non-Contrast MRI

Open hours

Monday to Sunday, from 08:00-20:00

Referral

GPs cannot currently refer directly to the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre. Referrals should be made via Sunquest ICE to one of Imperial College Healthcare hospitals.

Patients within the Wembley catchment area, who are clinically appropriate, will be offered the option to have their test in the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre.

Reporting

Back to the referrer – secondary care consultant (Cerner) and GP (ICE).

Notes

Patients with suspected or confirmed contrast media reactions will not be booked at the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre.

If a patient has a metallic implant, please include this information in the patient request for the MRI team to risk assess.

CT scans

Tests

Routine Contrast and Non-Contrast CT

Open hours

Monday to Friday, from 09:00-17:00

Referral

GPs cannot currently refer directly to the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre. Referrals should be made via Sunquest ICE to one of Imperial College Healthcare hospitals.

Patients within the Wembley catchment area, who are clinically appropriate, will be offered the option to have their test in the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre.

Reporting

Back to the referrer – secondary care consultant (Cerner) and GP (ICE).

Notes

Patients with suspected or confirmed contrast media reactions will not be booked at the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre

For CT scans that need contrast administration:

Patients with history of kidney disease, kidney transplant, diabetes with metformin therapy will need to have a recent GFR >30 (within last 3 months)

Cardiology physiology

Tests

• Ambulatory Electrocardiography (Holter)
• 12 Lead Electrocardiography (ECG)
• Trans Thoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)

Open hours

Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 17:00

Referral

GPs should refer via e-RS for all cardiology physiology tests.

e-RS pathways (select ‘Not Otherwise Specified’):

• Cardiology|Direct access ECG|Willesden Diagnostic Centre|Imperial NHS Trust|RYJ
• Cardiology|Direct access echo clinic|Willesden Diagnostic Centre|Imperial NHS Trust|RYJ
• Cardiology|Direct access holter clinic|Willesden Diagnostic Centre|Imperial NHS Trust|RYJ
  
  

ECG tests are bookable direct, while we currently triage all referrals for TTE and Holter – this means that these tests are not bookable direct to Willesden Community Diagnostic Centre.

Reporting

All results will go back to the referrer (a copy of the report will be sent to the GP).

Turnaround is a maximum of 10 working days.

Notes

In the event a patient needs an urgent review, and where clinically appropriate, we will refer to secondary care directly – GPs will be notified accordingly.

Please note we cannot accept stretcher patients.

Imaging

Tests

• Ultrasound (non-obstetrics)
• Plain film x-ray

Open hours

Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 17:00

Referral

GPs are now able to refer directly to the Willesden Community Diagnostic Centre for this service. Referrals should be made via Sunquest ICE to Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust with Willesden CDC as the selected location.

Patients within the Willesden catchment area, who are clinically appropriate, will be offered the option to have their test in the Willesden Community Diagnostic Centre.

Reporting

Back to the referrer – secondary care consultant (Cerner) and GP (ICE).

Notes

Suspected fractures should not be referred to the Centre. Instead they should be referred to one of the acute hospitals.

We are accepting walk-in patients for this service. Please follow referral guidelines to put in the request and patients can choose to come on the day for their x-ray.

We are working with our ICB colleagues to provide more licences for Imperial ICE to GP practices to expand accessibility to this service.

Phlebotomy

Tests

Special screenings cannot be performed. All other non-urgent blood tests can be performed.

Open hours

Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 17:00

Referral

GPs can make requests for tests on Sunquest ICE. A walk-in service is available, alternatively patients or referrers can book an appointment via our website, or by calling 020 3312 6666 once the request has been submitted.

Reporting

Back to the referring clinician.

Notes

Patients should be reminded to bring their referral letter or blood tests requests forms with them for all blood tests.

Respiratory physiology

Tests

This service tests for conditions such as COPD, asthma and breathlessness via the following tests:

• Full lung function tests (lung volumes, gas transfer and spirometry)
• Fractional expiratory nitric oxide (FeNo)
• Spot check pulse oximetry
• Spirometry
• Bronchodilator response (Reversibility)
• Six-minute walk test
  
  

Open hours

Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 17:00

Referral

GPs can refer directly to Willesden Community Diagnostic Centre via e-RS, completing the ‘NWL ICS Respiratory Diagnostic Hublet Referral form’.

e-RS pathway (select ‘Not Otherwise Specified’):

• Respiratory|Lung Function Diagnostic TRIAGE|Willesden Diagnostic Centre|Imperial NHS Trust|RYJ
  

Reporting

Results go back directly to the GP on the day of testing via an NHS.net email provided on the referral form.

Shortness of breath pathway

Tests

The Willesden Community Diagnostics Centre will now be accepting GP referrals for the new shortness of breath service. This one-stop diagnostic pathway will be for patients who GPs cannot easily identify as needing to be seen by our Respiratory or Cardiology services in secondary care or for those who may have dual pathology.

The following diagnostic tests will be available in clinic:

• Echocardiogram
• ECG
• Spirometry/Feno
• Full Lung Function

All tests will be reviewed weekly by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) chaired by a respiratory consultant with cardiac consultant support. Patients will either be:

• Discharged to primary care with a care plan for referrer to follow up

or

• Given a further diagnostic test +/- specialist review

or

• Given an appointment in secondary care or with the community respiratory services for respiratory or cardiac.

Patients will be required to attend clinic for approximately 2 hours to ensure all diagnostics are completed.

This service will be by clinical referral only, underpinned by our service referral criteria, which is attached.

Open hours

Monday to Friday, morning appointments.

Referral

Referrals will be made directly via eRS using the referral forms provided. The referral form will be available on SystmOne and EMIS and located as: “One Stop Shortness of Breath service TRIAGE/Respiratory Cardiac/Willesden/Imperial NHS Trust”.

Please note, should referrals not meet the criteria for the service, advice and guidance will be given or if deemed appropriate, the patient may be referred to either a respiratory or cardiac service.

All referrals will be reviewed by a consultant within 24 hours.

Routine referrals: All accepted routine referrals will be offered an appointment within 20 days.

Urgent referrals: Patients who require urgent care should not be sent to this service

Back to the referring clinician.

Notes

Once the triaged referral has been received, the team administrator will contact the patient within 24 hours to confirm they are willing to attend Willesden for the diagnostic tests. 

Following confirmation, the patient will receive a confirmation text message for the appointment date/time, location of diagnostics and a detailed appointment letter explaining what will be involved on the day.

The tests are all booked for the same day and the patient is scheduled for the next available MDT, where the findings of the diagnostics are reviewed, and an outcome plan put in place with a letter sent to the GP and patient confirming next steps.

For all enquiries, please contact the dedicated Shortness of Breath administration team:

Tel: 0203 312 5767

Email: imperial.sobpathway@nhs.net