A new radiology outpatient diagnostic suite has now opened in the Cumberland Infirmary.
The new suite houses CT and MRI scanners as well as an ultrasound room and a new purpose -built reporting room for radiologists.
The new diagnostic suite will be primarily used for outpatients and it is anticipated that this will reduce the pressure on the current CT and MRI scanners so that inpatient and emergency patients can receive more timely scans.
The trust which runs the hospital said the new suite brings better privacy and dignity to patients and is helping to reduce the current waiting times for diagnostics, which saw a large increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jon Berry, consultant radiologist said: “We are really excited about the new suite, the new scanners can give better images and have faster scanning times.
“A new reporting room means that our recently expanded radiology team can now view and analyse scans in a dedicated area with state-of-the-art equipment.
The consultant radiologist team has doubled in size over the last two years and the team are aiming to increase the number of scans reported in-house in a timely fashion rather than outsource the reporting.”
This is the first phase of an £8m project to upgrade the diagnostic facilities of the hospital.
In the new year, the current CT and MRI scanners will also be replaced.
