New gamma camera – what it is doing and how it helps patients at county hospital

Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said that the camera, based in a new £3.6m unit at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH), will increase capacity for cancer scanning and reduce waiting times for patients.

Patient Simon Burgess was one of the first patients to receive a scan on the day the unit opened.

He said: “It is good to have this new facility here – it is nice to be in a new, bright, clean and fresh environment.”

SaTH said the construction of the £3.6m unit and installation of the new gamma camera is the 'largest single investment in Nuclear Medicine that Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has seen historically'.

The camera is used to detect cancer, paediatric conditions and other acute conditions – and will produce better quality images.

A team of radiographers and an assistant practitioner specialising in Nuclear Medicine Radiography work along the radiologist in the new unit, which is next to the Evolution Scanning Unit that houses a CT and an MRI scanner.

SaTH said it is also hoped that the equipment will attract staff with specialist skills and help with retention of its workforce.

Dr Laurence Ginder, associate medical director at SaTH, said: “It’s fantastic that the unit is now open and the first patients have been scanned using the new gamma camera.

“This long-awaited investment secures a Nuclear Medicine Imaging service for the future. It has the potential for us to expand our imaging capabilities, improving the diagnosis and treatment pathway for our patients."

“The modern surroundings also create a better environment for both colleagues and patients. The project will lead to an improved hospital experience for our patients.”

The trust said the investment in the new camera will complement the facilities at the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), in Telford, which provides elective diagnostic tests and scans.

The CDC based at Hollinswood House, Stafford Park, offers cardiorespiratory services, radiology – CT, X-ray, ultrasound and MRI, pathology (blood tests) and teledermatology.

More than 64,500 patients have been seen at the CDC since it opened its doors in October.