MyPorter Improves Patient Flow through Radiology at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda

Background Efficient patient movement is vital to the smooth running of any hospital. At Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Republic of Ireland, staff recognised that delays in transporting patients between departments, particularly to radiology, were impacting workflows. The hospital adopted MyPorter to address these challenges.

The Challenge Traditionally, portering relied on paper requests and ad hoc communication. This often meant delays if a patient was unavailable when a porter arrived, leading to wasted time and duplicated journeys. In radiology, the knock-on effect was particularly problematic, with some scans carrying over into the following day. Staff needed a solution that would improve coordination, reduce wasted effort, and ensure the timely completion of daily tasks.

The Solution MyPorter was introduced with comprehensive training provided to staff. Although there was some initial nervousness, the system was quickly embraced.

“We were a little bit nervous at the start, but we had very good training and were quite excited to put it into practice,” said Elaine, Radiographer.

James McGarry, Portering Services Manager, noted the immediate benefits for his team:

“The journey times between jobs have come down, and porters are walking about 20 percent less each day, which is significant.”

The system provides porters with real-time updates on their phones, showing which patients are ready for transport. If one patient is unavailable, another can be collected without delay. Departments can also see when a task has been accepted and when a porter is on their way, allowing staff to prepare in advance and eliminating workflow gaps.

Results The introduction of MyPorter has delivered measurable improvements:

• 20% reduction in porter walking time.

• 9–10% increase in the number of radiology scans completed daily.

• No more scan backlogs - all CT, x-ray, and radiology jobs are now completed on the same day.
  

Elaine highlighted how this has changed daily operations:

“We can see from the system that there is a patient, the task has been picked up, and somebody is on the way down. We can prepare for that.”

James McGarry reinforced this point:

“The result is a more effective workflow. No more lags between jobs. The big thing we’ve noticed, and what the Radiographers really love, is that we’re not having to carry scans across into the next day anymore. Radiologists don’t have that backup of unfinished work. That’s what they love the most, along with the fact the system is so user-friendly.”

Conclusion By adopting MyPorter, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has transformed patient transport into a streamlined, reliable process. The technology has reduced wasted time, increased productivity in radiology, and improved both staff and patient experience.

This case demonstrates how even modest operational changes, supported by the right technology, can deliver significant gains in healthcare efficiency.