Patients needing x-rays in Spalding will soon benefit from a £250,000 investment in new state-of-the-art imaging technology.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), which delivers the x-ray and other diagnostic services at the Johnson Community Hospital, is about to replace the imaging equipment on the site as part of a £3.8 million investment in technology across the county.
A £2.6 million funding boost from central government, along with a further £1.2 million of internal capital funding has allowed the Trust to replace imaging equipment that was more than 10 years old, including CT scanners, breast scanners, MRI scanners and x-ray machines. This has not only improved patient care and experience, but also the quality of the images being produced.
At Johnson Community Hospital the old x-ray and dental imaging equipment will be removed, with decorating and repairs made to the area, before the installation of a fully integrated digital x-ray and dental imaging equipment, along with all of the testing, training and assurance processes that are needed.
During this period, from Thursday September 9 until early November, patients will attend the UTC as normal, and certain types of x-ray will still be able to be undertaken at Spalding Hospital e.g. chest x-rays and limbs.
For other types of x-rays (spinal, pelvis and abdominal) patients will be invited to attend other hospitals in the area. This will include Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, Grantham and District Hospital, Stamford and Rutland Hospital or Peterborough City Hospital.
ULHT radiology operations manager, Nigel Allen, said: “This project will be fantastic for Johnson Community Hospital as it will introduce fully digital Imaging equipment which will be quicker, have better image quality to aid diagnosis and much lower radiation doses than the current equipment.
“The x-ray rooms will also be refreshed, providing an enhanced patient experience and a better working environment for staff.
“We appreciate this will mean an element of disruption for patients and colleagues in the Urgent Treatment Centre, but it will result in state of the art x-ray facilities being available at the Johnson Community Hospital for the future.”
ULHT director of finance and digital, Paul Matthew, added: “We are committed to working with our partners across the Lincolnshire NHS healthcare system to ensure we all have access to the best imaging equipment available to treat patients.
“These investments mean our patients will be able to have state-of-the-art imaging, closer to home and in improved environments. This investment not only makes diagnostics easier, it gives staff access to the best technology for their job and that has the added bonus of aiding diagnosis and speeding up any required treatment.”
Clair Raybould, director of operations at Lincolnshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Investing in improvements to x-ray facilities at Johnson Community Hospital is excellent news for patients and staff alike ensuring it is fit for the future.
“We recognise that whilst this necessary work is undertaken there will be an element of disruption, but partners are working closely together to minimise the impact during the upgrade.”
