South Tyneside and Sunderland trust is first to implement xWave clinical decision support across imaging network
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has gone live with xWave CDS, bringing evidence‑based clinical decision support directly into the trust’s existing referral workflows. xWave Technologies says the deployment of the system has enabled clinicians to select the most appropriate imaging test at the point of referral, helping to improve referral quality, reduce vetting workload and minimise unnecessary or incorrect imaging.
This is the first trust to go live in the North East and North Cumbria Imaging Network (NENC) regional programme, which forms part of an eight-trust regional implementation. xWave CDS integrates national evidence (iRefer) and local pathways into a single experience, with the aim of enabling clinicians to make faster, more confident decisions while strengthening governance and continuous improvement. NENC notes that the first go‑live of iRefer‑based guidance in the region represents a major advancement for more streamlined, consistent patient pathways.
“This is a significant step forward for imaging services across NENC. Having clear, evidence‑based guidance available at the point of referral helps our teams make safer, faster decisions so patients receive the right care at the right time,” said NENC provider collaborative diagnostic programme manager Emma Carter. “We look forward to supporting further implementations in the coming months.”
As part of the deployment, xWave is establishing a comprehensive baseline of the trust’s real-world imaging practice, capturing referral behaviour, decision making patterns and site-level variation using the clinical audit tool xWave Insight. This data enables continuous optimisation of CDS guidance, supports governance-led improvement initiatives and provides evidence of improvements in safety, appropriateness and overall CDS value.
Picture: the xWave Technologies team with the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust radiology department team.
Published on page 3 of the March 2026 issue of RAD Magazine.
