Chesterfield Royal cranes in state-of-the-art £1.5m MRI scanner

By Jo Makosinski | Published: 30-Nov-2022

New scanner will be used to diagnose 16,000 patients a year

A £1.5m MRI scanner will be installed at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, helping diagnose more than 16,000 patients a year.

An MRI scanner– or Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner – uses magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses to produce three-dimensional, detailed images of most areas of the body without the use of radiation.

It is used to diagnose and monitor treatments in both adults and children.

The trust already has two MRIs on site, with this new Siemens Magnetom Sola 1.5 T replacing an 11-year-old machine, which was removed in September.

The installation will be carried out using a 50-tonne crane and will take seven hours, with the cryogenics and superconductor – needed to operate the machinery – being placed, connected to the power supply, and configured before it will become operational from 23 December.

The new MRI will have a life span of between 10-15 years and will operate 12.5 hours a day, seven days a week – with scans lasting between 10-60 minutes.

All scans are prioritised, with urgent cases often receiving the results on the same day.

Kevin Sargen, medical director at the trust, said: “This is great news for the people of Chesterfield and shows that, as a trust, we are investing in modern care and facilities – this being alongside the £27m urgent and emergency care development and the £2m paediatric assessment unit.”

Rebecca Ward, MRI/CT lead, added: “This new technology will offer far greater quality and speed over our previous scanner.

“We know that it will improve our performance and mean we diagnose more people, as well as providing a better experience for patients.”

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