Spire invests £1.2m in new CT scanner for Spire Leicester
07 June 2021
Spire Leicester Hospital has unveiled a new, state-of-art CT scanner, which will speed up diagnoses for patients with cancer and other diseases.
The scanner represents a £1.2m investment by Spire Healthcare and allows scans to be undertaken in the time it takes the heart to beat. This will enable more patients to be scanned to detect cancer, for neurological, ENT, orthopaedic and cardiac conditions and stomach and kidney problems. The scanner will help provide diagnoses for both NHS and private patients, which will alleviate pressure on waiting lists and reduce waiting times for a scan.
The new scanner has radiation dose reduction technology which means that it uses lower radiation doses. It also provides a more calming environment for patients. The scanning service currently operates Monday to Friday, although it may be extended to cover the weekend, if there is demand. After scans are completed and reported by a consultant radiologist, an expert member of Spire’s team can provide a diagnosis and advise on the most appropriate treatment, if this is necessary.
The installation of the scanner was a complex process, which entailed multiple teams working in the hospital for eight weeks. Strict infection control processes were put in place to keep patients and staff COVID-secure during the construction process and the teams went to considerable effort to reduce noise and disruption over the eight-week period so that the hospital could continue to function normally.
Spire Leicester Hospital's new CT scanner
Douglas Pattisson, Hospital Director at Spire Leicester Hospital, said: “Here at Spire Leicester Hospital, we are absolutely committed to make sure our patients can have fast access to diagnosis and treatment. Investing in state-of-the-art facilities, like our new scanner, enables us to do this.
“We are proud to have played an important role in helping to keep a wide range of services, including cancer services, going during the pandemic, when our local NHS Trust needed to focus on treating COVID-positive patients. With our new scanner, we can continue to do this.”
As part of Spire’s contract with NHS England to provide support during the pandemic, Spire Leicester Hospital provided cancer and other surgery for NHS patients. It cared for 13,000 NHS patients in total, between March 2020 and March 2021.