New Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) treatment at the Friarage

ACUSON Juniper ultrasound scanner donated to the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service

Thanks to generous donations from the public, Friends of the Friarage have been able to fund an ultrasound system worth approximately £25,000 which has enabled a new Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) treatment at the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service at the Friarage. The new ACUSON Juniper ultrasound scanner is a high-performance system that helps to provide a more seamless service for patients awaiting diagnosis on a range of MSK conditions.

The clinic, based within the Physiotherapy department at the hospital is headed by Mr Chris Dunne, Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist. Not only does the new system benefit patients, it is proving to be beneficial for staff development too, with Chris even having to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Ultrasound (MSK) to be able to use the machine. There are more than 200 musculoskeletal conditions that affect the joints, bones and muscles and also include rarer autoimmune diseases and back pain. The Friarage has an expert and specialist team working with patients to investigate, diagnose and treat these conditions. Chris explains how the new service at the Friarage is expected to simultaneously cut waiting times for patients and relieve pressure from the Radiology department;

"An important piece of equipment in the team’s toolkit is Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). This helps the clinical team of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists in their diagnosis of a condition and is also used to guide them in treatments helping them to be accurate with guided injections such as injecting anaesthetic or cortisone into the joint to ease pain. 

There had been a notable bottleneck in services around Radiology with regards to post COVID waits. Our aim is that the system will reduce waiting times for procedures which would normally be referred to Radiology. This will provide a more seamless service and greater continuity of care. It is hoped to provide earlier diagnosis, prevent development of chronicity, reduced surgical complexity, and allow for more accurate prioritisation.

We are incredibly grateful to Friends of the Friarage for their support to allow for the development of these services."