Hospital unveils £1.2m machine to speed up cancer scans

Bosses at Spire Little Aston Hospital near Streetly said the investment will enable up to 20 patients a day to be scanned to detect cancer, cardiac disease and some urgent neurological, and orthopaedic conditions.

It will is being used for both NHS and private patients to ease pressure on public hospital waiting lists for treatments and and imaging.

The new equipment uses the latest technology resulting in quicker checks to allow more patients to be seen and it is more spacious to create more comfort.

Spire Healthcare's scanning service operates Monday to Friday and also has 24 hour emergency cover.

The first patient to use it was Carol Woods, who said: “I had a great experience at Spire Little Aston and I’d like to thank all the staff for their care and support. I feel privileged to have been the first patient scanned using the brand new state-of-the-art CT machine.”

It was installed last month as part of an eight-week scheme and had to be levered into place at the MRI unit using specialist equipment.

A temporary scanner was used during the installation period to allow critical services to continue.

Hospital director Edward Ireland added: “Here at Little Aston Hospital we are absolutely committed to making sure our patients can have fast access to diagnosis and treatment. Investing in state-of-the-art facilities, like our new scanner, enables us to do this.

“We are proud to be playing an important role in keeping a wide range of services going, including cancer services. With our new scanner, we can continue to support the local community and help address rising waiting lists in the area.”