David
Henderson, Executive Director of BMI The Kings Oak and Cavell Hospitals has
this month welcomed the delivery of a new state of the art MRI scanner. The new
equipment, a GE Optima MR450w open bore MRI scanner, will form the centre piece
of the hospital’s new £1.7million imaging department and will create six new
jobs in the local Enfield community.
The MRI scanner, which
weighs the same as a double-decker bus, was crane-lifted into its final
position on 18 January. The scanner will allow clinicians at the hospital to
significantly expand the range of diagnostic services available to the local
community. Speaking on the importance of the new scanner and imaging department
Consultant Cardiologist Dr Tom Crake commented, “The new MRI scanner will
enhance the diagnostic imaging services provided by the hospital, offering
patients access to state-of-the art scanning, faster, higher quality images and
results’. The new scanner will also improve the cardiac, spinal, neurological,
musculo-skeletal, orthopaedic, vascular, urological, abdominal and breast
imaging services available at the hospital. This will allow clinicians from a
range of specialties to offer a wider selection of routine and more complex MRI
procedures to their patients.”
Unlike conventional MRI scanners, the open bore scanner does not
require the patient’s whole body to be inside the machine. For most
examinations, the patient’s head will remain outside the scanner. If it is
necessary for the head to be positioned inside, the open bore scanner provides
30cm of space above their face, about twice that of a traditional MRI scanner.
Aside from reducing patients’ anxiety this new technology allows the hospital
to accommodate needs such as:
- Pain and mobility issues
- Claustrophobia
- Respiratory problems
As the scanner has a wider circumference, it can also accommodate
larger patients who might otherwise not be able to receive appropriate
treatment. Nasser Hussain, Imaging Manager at The Kings Oak and Cavell
Hospitals, said: “We are all very excited about the delivery of this new state
of the art piece of equipment and very much look forward to the opening of the
new department later this year. The investment being made at the hospital will
improve the pathway of patients at the hospital reducing any anxiety by
dramatically speeding up the time between consultation, scan and diagnosis.”
The investment into new equipment at The Kings Oak and Cavell
Hospitals has
been made possible through a partnership between the hospitals’
parent company, BMI Healthcare, and Alliance Medical Ltd. As part of BMI Healthcare’s
partnership with Alliance Medical, the hospitals will
also welcome the installation of the latest GE Optima 660 64
slice CT scanner. David Loasby, Business Development Director at Alliance
Medical, said: “Both the MRI and CT scanners will sit alongside the hospitals
recently upgraded Siemens Multix Top X-ray and fully equipped ultrasound and
mammography departments to create a centre of diagnostic excellence in Enfield.
The MRI and CT scanners will undergo installation and final preparation before
the new unit is open and able to welcome its first patients in the spring of
2012.”
Executive Director David Henderson at BMI The Kings Oak
and Cavell Hospitals commented: “The delivery of the new MRI and CT scanners is
the final part of our upgrade programme before we are able to officially open
our new imaging department later this year. All the consultants, nurses and
staff at the hospital are delighted with the benefits that these new pieces of
equipment will bring to the local community and our patients and we look
forward to welcoming our first patients to the new diagnostic unit.”
Private hospital news : 6 February 2012
