Hospital's mobile scanner installed (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Hospital's mobile scanner installed

8:00am Monday 18th March 2013 in News

A MOBILE scanner is up and running outside Kidderminster Hospital as work gets under way to replace its integral scanner with a newer model.

The mobile equipment has been placed in the hospital’s car park outside the treatment centre and almost 300 patients have already used it since it arrived about three weeks ago.

Kidderminster Hospital is upgrading its CT (computed tomography) scanner and the mobile device will be used until the new one is installed in about five weeks’ time.

The hospital’s League of Friends donated £50,000 towards the mobile scanner to prevent patients travelling to Worcestershire Royal Hospital while the new scanner was being fitted.

The League of Friends also wants to raise £65,000 for software for the new scanner and £60,000 to cover the cost of building work to replace the current model.

The £125,000 appeal is being backed by The Shuttle and generous readers have already sent in cheques totalling £976 for the appeal.

Tina Wooldridge, CT superintendent radiographer, said the old scanner had been removed and the new one was due to be delivered on March 27, adding they hoped to start using it on April 15.

“The patients are very grateful that they can still have their scans performed locally at Kidderminster,” she said.

“If there wasn’t a mobile scanner patients would have to go to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

“The mobile scanner is working well and the building work is going according to schedule.

“The League of Friends are an amazing bunch of people and so are the local people for making donations.”

Peter Picken, of the League of Friends, said: “We’re delighted that things are going so well and that the old scanner is out and the work is progressing.

“The League of Friends are pleased to be able to fund the mobile scanner unit to prevent our local patients having to wait and travel for scans until the new scanner is installed.”