Revolutionary new cardiac CT scanner unveiled at Kings Mill Hospital
A hospital trust has become the first in the region to install an advanced cardiac CT scanner, unveiled by a three-time Paralympic gold medallist.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals — which runs Newark, Kings Mill, and Mansfield Community hospitals — is the first in the East Midlands to install the GE HealthCare Revolution Apex Elite Cardiac CT Scanner.
It was unveiled by Paralympic swimmer and canoeist Charlotte Henshaw, from Mansfield, at a launch event at Kings Mill Hospital.
The new scanner will allow cardiac scans to be offered to patients without the requirement slow their heart first.
Dr James Thomas, acting deputy chief medical officer and clinical lead for clinical support, therapies and outpatients division, said: “It will significantly transform CT services in our radiology department, increasing our capacity to offer this vital test and reducing our waiting lists considerably.”
CT scans are diagnostic tools, which combine X-rays and computer technology to create detailed images of bones, muscles, and organs — to diagnose tumours, investigate internal bleeding, or check for other internal damage.
Patients need to keep completely still during a scan and the heart usually has to be slowed down for images to be successfully captured, however the new equipment can scan a patient’s heart in less than a second, fast enough to capture images without blurring while keeping the heart beating normally.
It also uses lower radiation levels, and will be automatically updated with the latest software and advancements as technology continues to develop.
The new scanner is already operational, and was funded by NHS England.
Rachel Stevenson, CT lead radiographer for the trust, added: “We should have the capacity to double the number of cardiac scans that we have been doing each month.
“We are really excited about the difference this will make to our patients at Sherwood Forest Hospitals and the improved service we will be able to provide for them.”
