DIAGNOS TICS
a busy hospital. The Rutherford Diagnostic Centre Somerset, in Taunton, which has been developed through a partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, offers Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), ultrasound and X-Ray on equipment provided by Philips. Sir Mike Richards opened the centre highlighting the important contribution the new diagnostics centre will have in tackling the backlog: “Even prior to the pandemic the need for more diagnostic services was very clear and the last 18 months have underlined how important it is to rise to meet this challenge successfully,” he commented. Peter Lewis, chief executive of Somerset
NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Despite our investment in MRI and CT scanners, and our continued use of mobile scanners, we were concerned that our Trust would not keep pace with demand for diagnostic tests in the future. We had to look for a different solution and were delighted to enter into our partnership with Rutherford Diagnostics. “As a result, our patients have access to diagnostic tests at this modern stand-alone facility away from a busy hospital. This is part of the new recommended way forward for the NHS and has become more important as a result of the global pandemic. It also brings real benefits for our radiology, radiographic and booking colleagues who will be working alongside Rutherford’s staff in the centre, enabling them to work in more diverse environments and expand their experience. “The centre also helps us to prioritise the capacity that we have available at Musgrove Park Hospital for emergency patients or those who are already in the hospital. This is not only good for our patients, but also the way we care for people across the whole Somerset healthcare system by enabling
them to have imaging scans away from the acute hospital.”
The centre is the first of up to five centres that Rutherford intends to develop under an agreement with Equitix, a leading investor in core infrastructure in the UK and Europe, while Philips will provide the innovative technology at the five sites. The additional capacity at the diagnostic centre enables Somerset NHS Foundation Trust to significantly increase its capacity for CT and MRI imaging, as well as scan a larger proportion of patients who require complex scanning. Dr. Dan Meron, chief medical officer, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “Before the pandemic, we had around 5,000 people waiting for diagnostic
tests in Somerset and saw 90% of them within the six-week national standard waiting period. After the pandemic, before we opened this centre, we had 7,000 people waiting and were only able to see 50% of them within the six-week national standard waiting time.
“Now that we have opened the centre, we will be able to increase capacity for CT scans by 25%, immediately, MRI scans by another 25% within three months’ time, and we are planning to provide 99% of patients with diagnostic imaging within the six-week national standard by March 2022.” Mike Moran, chief executive officer of
Rutherford Health, said: “There has never been a more important time for innovative partnering in healthcare in the UK, to ensure patients get access to earlier diagnosis and the best treatment as quickly as possible. The importance of early diagnosis cannot be overstated, it should be the cornerstone of any health system. This centre is a major step forward in addressing the rising demand for diagnostic services across Somerset.”
Stephen McMillan, head of solutions at Philips UKI, explained: “The Rutherford Diagnostic Centre Somerset provides patients and staff access to some of the most cutting-edge diagnostic imaging equipment, including the Philips IQon Spectral CT, the world’s first detector-based spectral CT and the Philips Ingenia Ambition X MR, featuring fully sealed BlueSeal magnet technology for almost helium-free MR operations.” The diagnostic centre will also feature Ambient Experience technology which utilises dynamic light, video and sound to place patients in a calming, reassuring and relaxing environment. By giving patients
52 l
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM JANUARY 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
