Point-of-care ultrasound is an exciting new technique which lets clinicians perform ultrasound investigations in real time, allowing for rapid diagnosis of life-threatening illnesses that would otherwise take hours to days to diagnose. The technology, which is already being used in emergency and acute medicine departments and is dubbed the ‘stethoscope of the 21st century’, gives clinicians immediate visual information to what is happening inside the body whilst the patient is being assessed, enhancing patient experience and care. Ultrasound at Weston Park Assessment Unit. The speed of this information can be vital in keeping patients out of hospital and emergency departments by ensuring the right treatment is started at the right time.
By training key front-door staff to use portable handheld ultrasound devices over six to nine months, this pioneering initiative will expand Weston Park Assessment Unit’s role as a front door cancer assessment unit, providing rapid assessment and timely diagnosis of cancer complications for patients who have cancer or become unwell during treatment.
Published: Wednesday 14th of October 2026