New state-of-the-art CT scanner opens at Birmingham hospital
The ribbon has been cut to officially open a new, state-of-the-art, scanner in Birmingham Children's Hospital's Emergency Department (ED).
The scanner was officially opened by Shaun Jackson, director of estates and Dr Tina Newton, ED consultant.
Dr Newton championed the project to improve the patient experience for children and families coming into the major trauma centre, which is one of the largest paediatric centres in the UK.
The scanner, which opened in August, is high-resolution, high-speed, and low-dose, providing advanced scans for doctors treating trauma patients in the hospital.
Dr Newton said: "We see some very serious injuries come through to our Emergency Department and one of the most important diagnostic tests we can do to treat our patients is a CT scan.
"Until now, our scanner was located in another part of the hospital, quite some distance away.
"It's not ideal to transport potentially unstable patients, and it can be incredibly stressful for both the child and their families."
The new scanner is on-site at the Emergency Department, so scans can be carried out quickly and safely with minimal transport.
Dr Newton added: "The risk is significantly lowered thanks to the new scanner and we can now potentially carry out scans faster."
The scanner will double up from the hospital's main scanner in the Radiology department which means the potentially more non-emergency scans can be carried out across the hospital in the future.
It will also mean that a patient with a Radiology appointment won’t be moved or delayed during an emergency.
Shaun Jackson, Director of Estates, said: "When Dr Newton first told me about her idea to bring a CT scanner into ED I knew we had to do everything we could to make this a reality.
"I'm very proud of our teams and the brilliant work of our contractors for transforming this space to allow our doctors to provide even better care for our young people."
Raffaela Goodby, chief people officer, who attended the opening ceremony with Chief Finance Officer Phil Foster, said: "I want to recognise the incredible teamwork that it took to get to the proud opening of the new CT scanner. The scanner and the new space look fantastic and will significantly improve the patient experience for our children and families."
