A new image for radiology: £2.6m radiology department officially opens
21-Jan-2009
The mayors of Brent and Harrow have officially opened our multi-million pound newly refurbished radiology department at Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospitals.
The department has had a £2.6m facelift and is now home to some of the most high-tech imaging equipment available. Nearly half a million pounds has been spent on new waiting areas, extra consulting and treatment rooms and a dedicated recovery area for patients. £2.2m has been invested on new equipment including an interventional radiology suite, two fluoroscopy units for the St Mark’s Hospital imaging centre, CT scanner and digital mammography.
Councillor Ralph Fox, Mayor of Brent, and Councillor John Nickolay, Mayor of Harrow toured the department, which sees 20,000 patients a year, before unveiling a plaque to officially open it.
Chief Executive Fiona Wise said: “Our recent investment in radiology has totally transformed the environment for our patients, visitors and staff.
More than 30 years ago, Northwick Park Hospital commissioned the world’s first CT body scanner which was a landmark event in the world of radiology. Our investment once again puts us at the forefront of the latest technology, so we can provide higher quality images, quicker than ever before.”
The department’s new recovery room allows patients who have had interventional treatments to be cared for in a new area with dedicated nurses. It also means we can carry out more procedures as day cases so patients do not have to stay overnight in hospital.
The Trust now uses digital mammograms which enable clinical images to be stored electronically and viewed by clinicians on computer screens across its hospitals.
Clinical Director, Dr Michele Marshall said: “The department now looks so much more welcoming and is a relaxing place for patients. We are able to carry out more treatments within the department, with a new day-case suite saving patients from having to travel to other hospitals or a longer stay in hospital. At our internationally renowned, Intestinal Imaging Centre based in St Mark’s Hospital, we are the first centre in Europe to use the latest digital technology x-ray equipment to help us treat people with bowel problems."
Notes to editors
1. For more information, please contact Fiona Wilde, Communications Manager on 020 8869 3701 or fiona.wilde@nwlh.nhs.uk
2. CT (Computed axial tomography) scanners take a series of pictures across the body allowing radiologists to view images in two dimensional or three dimensional forms.
3. Fluoroscopy Units work by producing a constant stream of x-rays enabling a doctor to view moving structures within the body in ‘real time’, eg bowel and swallowing action, and are used to carry out treatments such as stenting or drainages.
4. Interventional radiology is a term used to describe invasive procedures carried out by Radiologists and usually involve the insertion of a needle, cannula (tube), catheter, or wire into the patient to aid imaging for diagnosis and/or treatment. For example: angioplasty (insertion of a balloon into a vein or artery to widen it and improve circulation), stenting (insertion of a metal tube that remains, keeping an artery or a vein open) and drainages (inserting a plastic tube into certain organs (kidneys) to help reduce the pressure when blocked.