Diagnostic World

Diagnostic World: diagnostic ultrasound for the NHS and community settings

Diagnostic World is a British diagnostic imaging provider with over 18 years of activity and more than one million patients scanned in its diagnostic and screening clinics across the UK. The company focuses on ultrasound and works with NHS hospitals and community care settings through service packages tailored to each centre's needs.

The company operates as an accredited provider under the NHS Clinical Services Framework, is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with a 'Good' rating in diagnostic imaging, and provides services to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) nationwide. Its approach is aimed at reducing waiting times and improving patient access to diagnostic tests.

Clinical services and collaboration model

The ultrasound service is designed as a flexible and responsive solution to support the growing demand on radiology departments. The company offers bespoke service packages for NHS hospitals and community care settings, with the stated aim of shortening waits and improving clinical outcomes.

Its services are aimed at hospitals, referrers, commissioners and NHS patients. The company structures its offering around clinical services, digital innovation, clinical governance and training, with specific support lines for each type of stakeholder.

Digital innovation and NHS integration

Diagnostic World works on integrating interoperable systems that facilitate patient choice and strengthen collaboration with the NHS. The company describes its digital approach as a step from analogue to digital, aimed at making diagnostics more accessible and integrating seamlessly with NHS systems.

Sonographer training

The company has a Training Academy dedicated to training the next generation of sonographers, with the stated aim of raising clinical standards in the sector. This line of activity is presented as a route into the profession for those who want to develop their career in ultrasound.

Quality, accreditations and data security

The company states it is working towards obtaining the Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI), a mark of excellence from the Royal College of Radiologists and the College of Radiographers. It is also certified to the ISO 9001 quality management standard, complies with GDPR and holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification, aimed at data security and patient confidentiality.

Leadership team

Jon Leonard is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). According to his professional profile, he has 25 years of experience in founding, growing and exiting private equity-backed businesses in the NHS diagnostic services sector, with a particular focus on community service provision. He has held senior roles at GE, Medica Group and TAC Healthcare, and leads the organisation's strategic and behavioural development.

Michael Bartlett is the Chief Operations Officer (COO). He has over eight years of experience in the healthcare sector, specialising in finance, HR and quality assurance for diagnostic providers. He was Financial Controller at TAC Healthcare Group and holds an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business from ACCA. He took part in the management buyout (MBO) of Diagnostic World in 2024 and has driven the launch of new services and the optimisation of operating models.

Sean Farnell is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He is ACA qualified and has 25 years of experience in the healthcare, technology and customer communications markets. He has held CFO and FD roles at TAC Healthcare Group, EMIS Group PLC and Communisis PLC, with experience in mergers and acquisitions worth over £100 million in corporate deals and raising over £70 million in equity and debt capital.

Sue Jones is Associate Director. She has over 45 years of experience in the healthcare sector, originally trained as a nurse and has held management roles including Clinical Education Manager, Product Manager, International Sales Director, International Marketing Manager and Operations and Commercial Director. She currently oversees the organisation's major projects.

Experience with healthcare centres

The material includes testimony from South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, which describes Diagnostic World's ultrasound service as a flexible and responsive solution to sustain musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound capacity during staff leave and absences. According to this centre, the service allows them to commission a block of activity every two months with a specialist MSK sonographer without the need for locums or recruiting a full-time specialist.

It also includes the experience of Tideswell Surgery, which values the speed of organising the service — around two weeks — for a patient who could not attend hospital for an upper abdominal ultrasound, as well as the reasonableness of the cost.

Location and contact

Units 4&5 The Gateway West, East Street, Leeds, LS9 8DA