Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) has opened a new purpose-built MRI department at East Surrey Hospital in partnership with InHealth. It boasts two state-of-the-art Siemens Sola MRI scanners as well as one of the UK’s first ceiling mounted MRI injector systems.
The new scanners are ‘wide bore’ giving a greatly improved experience for patients by reducing anxiety and delivering high quality imaging.
The new MRI department opened to outpatients on Monday 15 March 2021 and opened to all patients on Monday 29 March following staff training by the Siemens applications team optimising the scanners for our patients.
As part of SASH’s plans for the future, following the training of all radiographers, the unit will be open for scanning from 7am to 10pm Monday to Friday, meaning more patients can be seen per day.
June Milliams, imaging services manager from InHealth said: “Staff are relishing working with the newest technology and together with the Siemens applications team are working towards getting the most out of the machines.
“The department has received very good feedback from patients regarding the new facilities.”
The unit is situated at the back of the diagnostic imaging (x-ray) department in the purple zone of the hospital. As well as having the newest MRI technology to produce the highest quality imaging, the facilities provide a 21st century clinical environment for all patients as well as great facilities for staff.
Dr Tony Newman-Sanders, consultant radiologist, chief of cancer and diagnostics and chief clinical information officer said: “The new MRI facility will ensure the best possible quality imaging for our patients in a great environment. It will enable us to provide key services for our patients who we have previously had to send elsewhere, notably imaging for children requiring anaesthesia and for our patients with heart disease who have previously had to travel to London for their imaging specialist.”