Spire Portsmouth Hospital invests £1.5 million in new CT scanner
10 March 2022
Spire Portsmouth Hospital has unveiled a state-of-the art CT scanner, which will speed up diagnoses for patients with cancer and other diseases.
The scanner represents a £1.5 million investment by Spire Healthcare and will enable many more patients a day to be scanned to detect cancer, cardiac disease and urgent neurological, gynaecological and orthopaedic conditions. 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 equipment uses the latest technology, which means that it will take less time to complete scans, meaning more patients can be seen for a diagnosis than in the past. The new equipment is much wider inside than other scanners, and so is more comfortable for patients. The quality of the scanner enhances diagnosis and subsequent treatments, and means it can also be used for research scans from which the entire health service can benefit.
The scanning service currently operates Monday to Friday, although it may be extended, if there is demand.
Spire Portsmouth Hospital's new scanner
The scanner is located in a new unit, which had to be levered into place using a specialist crane over a weekend earlier this month. Strict infection control processes were put in place to keep patients and staff COVID-secure during the installation process and the teams went to considerable effort to reduce noise and disruption so that the hospital could continue to function normally, and temporary CT was on site through the 8 week installation period to allow continuation of critical services.
The new scanner is part of a broader investment programme that has included a £1.8 million MRI scanner, installed immediately prior to the CT. The new MRI scanner has a wider bore which reduces the feeling of claustrophobia for patients.
Kevin Griffiths, Hospital Director at Spire Portsmouth Hospital, said: “Spire Healthcare has made significant investment to bring state of the art diagnostic equipment to a number of its sites across the UK. Spire Portsmouth Hospital has received both a brand new MRI Scanner and CT scanner, we have made the same investment at our Southampton site. With the two sites working in collaboration, this investment provides the local health economy across the South Coast with significant benefits. We are absolutely committed to making sure our patients can have fast access to diagnosis and treatment. Investing in state-of-the-art facilities, like our new scanners, enables us to do this”
Mr Peter Blencowe, a Spire Portsmouth patient scanned on 3 March 2022 commented: ‘I was welcomed into Spire Portsmouth Hospital on the day of my appointment and taken in for my scan with no delay. The CT scanner itself was very efficient so much so, that I hardly knew it was there! 10/10.’