The new Buttercup Unit at the Nightingale Hospital Exeter is reducing waiting times and helping patients to get their diagnosis more quickly.

The unit opened its doors to patients six months ago and since then has:

• Completed 1,993 diagnostic tests for patients on cardiology waiting lists
• Helped over 950 patients with suspected cancer to get a diagnosis
• Supported over 540 patients on musculoskeletal (MSK) waiting lists

A number of new services have recently become available, including an urgent suspected lung cancer service and a new breathlessness service. Plans are in place to develop a one-stop service for gynaecology, which we aim to launch in 2025.

Many of the services at Buttercup are transformative ‘one stop’ services. Patients get their diagnostic tests and consultant appointments on the same day and in the same place, reducing the number of visits they need to make to hospital and speeding up the time it takes to get a diagnosis. This is an important approach that is helping to improve patient care and reduce waiting times.