North Tyneside General Hospital has doubled its CT scanning capacity thanks to its share of £350m funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
In October 2021, the DHSC announced the money would go towards bringing down waiting lists for tests by setting up Community Diagnostic Hubs around the country. One such hub is based at North Tyneside General. The hospital has now added a second CT scanner - and this will mean an extra 200 to 250 patients a week will be able to get tested.
The new scanner has been in place since the start of April - it was installed thanks to £1.3m funding and the state-of-the-art piece of kit increases the "type, speed and resolution" of scan possible. Dr Mark Twemlow, consultant radiologist at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust said it was "essentially two scanners in one" and would also reduce a patients exposure to radiation compared to older models.
He said: "For patients, it means a much better experience because it’s quicker and therefore more comfortable, often we don’t need them to hold their breath as much as previously, and the increase in capacity means they should get results more quickly."
Laura Chambers, a lead radiographer at North Tyneside General, said that, by the end of the year, the team hoped to be able to see an extra 350 patients a week. The extra capacity will also be used to support neighbouring hospitals to tackle backlogs in diagnostics.
The DHSC investment has also seen boosts to CT and MRI facilities in Blaydon, and a new "virtual hub" which NHS bosses say will provide better access to scans and tests for patients at the hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland, and County Durham and Darlington.
Late last year, Sir Liam Donaldson, chair of the new North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System, said this funding was a "welcome and timely investment".
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