National Health Service has made a 1 billion pound ($1.9 billion U.S.) procurement to provide speedier access to diagnostic services.
According to Health Secretary John Reid, by the end of 2008, the NHS is determined that no one will wait longer than 18 weeks for hospital treatment, from the time they see their general practitioner to the time of treatment.
The NHS will buy extra capacity from the independent sector in the U.K. This effort should significantly increase the NHS-funded diagnostic provision and increase the numbers of expert staff, such as radiologists, to provide these services for its patients, the NHS said.
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