Portering [QSI Ref: XR-304]

The portering needs of in-patients.

Knowledge of the availability, dependence and special needs of any patient prior to bringing them to the Department of Clinical Radiology is essential to:

• Enable efficient planning of lists

• Make the most efficient use of portering staff

• Ensure that the correct number of porters is available for each transfer

• Avoid wasted porter visits to wards

• Decrease patient waiting time in the department (especially for very ill patients)

• Improve relationships with the ward staff

• Speed up the overall processing of in-patients

• Empower the hard working portering staff

• Enable a seven day service. Ref.1

The standard: 

On all occasions when in-patients, both urgent and routine, require transfer to the Department of Clinical Radiology, the patient should have their portering needs correctly identified and should be transferred on time and effectively.

Target: 

90%

Indicators: 

Percentage of occasions when in-patients require transfer to the Department of Clinical Radiology, in which the patient has their portering needs correctly identified and is transferred on time and effectively.

Data items to be collected: 

For each occasion when an in-patient is required to be transferred to the department, portering staff prospectively record the following details:

• The referring clinical area

• The time of planned transfer

• Actual time of transfer

• Whether a correct transfer assessment is judged to have been made including correct evaluation of the following:

a. Mode of transfer (e.g. bed/chair)

b.Oxygen requirement (i.e. Y/N)

c. Any relevant infection history (i.e. Y/N)

d. Nurse required to accompany (i.e. Y/N)

• Whether the patient was transferred on time and effectively

If a correct assessment was not made or the patient was not transferred on time and effectively, classify the problem encountered from the following list:

• The patient was unavailable (e.g. in physiotherapy)

• The patient was unfit for transfer

• The patient status was incorrect (e.g. bed not chair required)

• A nurse was required to accompany patient (e.g. on oxygen) and was unavailable

• Other

Suggested number: 

Over a one week period, during normal working hours, all patients requiring transfer to the department by the portering staff.

• Institute regular telephone assessment of portering needs of in-patients prior to transfer

• Request more portering information on request forms for in-patients

• Publish the audit results by clinical area and discuss the results with nursing and Department of Clinical Radiology staff

- Ongoing data recording

- Porters (1 hour each day for 1 week, for recording data)

- Radiologist (1 hour)

1. Implementing 7 day working in Imaging Departments: Good practice guidance. A report from the National Imaging Clinical Advisory Group. Jan 2012.

Taken from Clinical Audit in Radiology 100+ recipes RCR 1996, updated by CRASC 2007, updated by CRAC 2012 & 2016, and Dr Mehotra 2020