What Is PACS

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	What Is PACS Picture Archiving and Communications System, more commonly known as PACS, enables images such as x-rays and scans to be stored electronically and viewed on computer screens, so that doctors and other health professionals can access the information and compare it with previous images at the touch of a button. By delivering more efficient imaging processes, PACS will contribute to the delivery of a maximum 18 week patient journey by 2008. For the past 100 years, film has been almost the exclusive medium for capturing, storing, and displaying radiographic images. Film is a relatively fixed medium with usually only one set of images available. PACS technology allows for a near filmless process, with all of the flexibility of digital systems. It also removes all the costs associated with hard film and releases valuable space currently used for storage. Most importantly, however, PACS has the potential to transform patients' experience of the care they receive across the NHS. PACS will support clinicians in performing their roles and will contribute to a more efficient and advanced twenty first century health service. For further information, read our PACS factsheet (Word, 41Kb). Latest newsPACS achieves 50% of planned deployments - PACS has captured more than 100 million x-rays and scans, and has achieved 50% of its planned deployments with 65 systems installed across the NHS during the past 20 months. PACS team on awards shortlist - PACS has been shortlisted for the 'Central e-Government Excellence in Team award', in the e-Government National Awards 2006. Southern NHS trusts commit to improve diagnostic services for patients - all NHS trusts in the Southern Cluster have now committed to implementing PACS. 50 per cent of NHS trusts now using PACS - NHS Connecting for Health has accelerated PACS implementations, and increased the number of trusts with digital imaging systems in England to 50 per cent. PACS reaches 50 per cent of deployments in London and the South – NHS Connecting for Health has completed a significant milestone with 50 per cent of PACS deployments in the London and Southern clusters. PACS reaches two million milestone - PACS has achieved the milestone of two million images being captured in a single week.

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Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS)
What is PACS?
PACS enables images such as X-rays and scans to be stored electronically and viewed on video screens, so that doctors and other health care professionals can access the information and compare it with previous images at the touch of a button. By delivering more efficient imaging processes, PACS will contribute to the delivery of a maximum 18 week patient journey by 2008.
Why does the NHS need PACS?
For the past 100 years, film has been almost the exclusive medium for capturing, storing, and displaying radiographic images. Film is a relatively fixed medium with usually only one set of images available. PACS technology allows for a near filmless process, with all the flexibility of digital systems. It also removes all the costs associated with hard film and releases valuable space currently used for storage. More importantly, however, it has the potential to transform patients’ experience of the care they receive across the NHS.
PACS will support clinicians in performing their roles and will contribute to a more efficient and advanced twenty first century health service.
How is NHS PACS being delivered?
NHS PACS is being delivered by NHS Connecting for Health throughout England via five regions or “clusters” of strategic health authorities, each working with a Local Service Provider (LSP). The LSPs are companies that are under contract to supply all of the requirements of the programme in the cluster. Implementation teams have been established in each cluster to help trusts, SHAs and the national team work together to plan and devise deployment strategies.
PACS will be delivered at NHS locations including:
• strategic health authorities
• acute trusts
• any location where pictures of a medical nature may be taken, stored, or used for the purposes of NHS diagnosis or treatment such as military hospitals, the homes of NHS radiologists and specialists and new diagnostic treatment centres.


What will PACS deliver?
The PACS solutions procured and provided as part of the National Programme for IT by NHS Connecting for Health will provide access to digital images in NHS organisations throughout England. NHS PACS will enable centralised storage of images, full interoperability and compatibility with the National Programme for IT’s other services. PACS will provide 100 per cent access to digital images in NHS organisations throughout England
Ensured access to images
NHS PACS allows images to be shared outside individual trusts. For example, this feature would allow an A&E department to be able to access specialist opinion from anywhere in their cluster instantaneously and, in due course, from any acute trust in England, as well as some primary care and community settings.
Future proofing
NHS PACS is backed by the full service, support and technical capabilities of NHS Connecting for Health. This ensures that it will meet NHS requirements, at a national and local level, and be compatible with other IT, both now and in the future.
Wide impact
NHS PACS will bring exciting changes to any part of the NHS where medical images are used, and it does not only handle x-ray images. PACS will deal with a wide range of specialties, including radiotherapy, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, angiography, cardiology, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, dental and symptomatic mammography. In fact, it will have a positive impact on any specialty that uses fixed or moving images.
Guaranteed service, performance and support
NHS PACS equipment has undergone rigorous testing and comes with a guarantee of technical support to ensure that it can deliver the day-to-day service that clinicians need and expect.
Integration of images with patient records
In due course NHS PACS will be tightly integrated with the NHS Care Record Service (CRS), removing the traditional barrier between images and other patient records and providing a single source for clinical information.



What are the benefits of NHS PACS?
PACS enables clinicians always to be able to access the right image in the right place at the right time to support an efficient, high quality and well communicated diagnosis. Digital imaging allows:
• Faster delivery of medical images to the clinicians that evaluate and report on them. This can lead to speedier availability of results.
• No lost or misplaced images, which means fewer patients being postponed or cancelled for consultations or operations due to images not being available.
• Flexible viewing with the ability to manipulate images on screen, which means patients can be diagnosed more efficitively.
• Instant access to historic images and patient records.
• Better collaboration, as PACS can be viewed from multiple terminals and locations by a range of clinicians, allowing discussion over diagnoses .
• Fewer unnecessary re-investigations, which will in turn reduce the amount of radiation to which patients are exposed.

Timescales for NHS PACS
PACS is being implemented throughout the NHS during 2006/2007. PACS will contribute to the delivery of a maximum 18 week patient journey by 2008.

Where can I find out more information?
You can find more detailed information and answers to the most commonly asked questions at www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/programmes/pacs
For specific information about NHS PACS in your area, contact your cluster:
London
[email protected]
North West and West Midlands
[email protected]
Southern
[email protected]
Eastern
[email protected]
North East
[email protected]




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