Huge crane lifts MRI scanner from Telford hospital - with pictures
Going, going, gone. A gigantic crane has been at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital this weekend, lifting out its old MRI scanner.
The 230ft high crane has removed the MRI scanner from the PRH to pave the way for a state-of-the-art replacement to be installed later in the summer.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is replacing its two existing MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanners, one of which is at PRH with the other at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH), as part of a £1.7million investment during 2017/18.
A new MRI scanner is also due to be installed at RSH by the end of March 2018 thanks to generous funding by the League of Friends of the RSH, increasing the number of MRI scanners at the Trust to three, which will allow more patients to be seen.
Watching the lift was Glen Whitehouse, radiology centre manager, and Shireen Mitham, MRI lead for radiography.
Shireen was there to watch the initial installation of the scanner 12 years ago and was the first and last person to use the scanner at SaTH.
She said that it felt quite emotional watching it go but is very excited about the arrival of the new scanner later this year.
The crane was brought in on Friday, and was working at he hospital until Sunday, when it was removed.
Ahead of the move two mobile MRI scanners have been installed – one at RSH and one at PRH. The RSH one has been in place for a number of weeks to help reduce waiting times from referral to having an MRI scan from six weeks to one week. The national target is six weeks.
The mobile unit at PRH is also being used to help keep waiting times down ahead of the move and will then be used to carry out a number of the scans whilst work takes place to prepare the X-ray unit for the installation of the new scanner on a date to be confirmed in late August.
Children who need MRI scans and patients needing complex scans will have these on the existing static scanner at RSH until the new scanner is installed.
Radiology teams aim to see all patients within the six-week target during this period. The first scan using the new MRI scanner will take place in early September.
RSH’s replacement scanner will be installed later in the year and be in use by Christmas 2017. The new RSH scanner, which will mean the Trust will have three MRI scanners, will be in use in spring 2018.
