A NEW Emergency Computerised Tomography (CT) Department was officially unveiled this week to staff and patients visiting Warrington Hospital.
The new £1.9 million CT Department is directly accessed from the hospital’s Emergency Department (A&E) to speed up the transfer of patients requiring urgent scans. The scanner equipped with the latest technology makes detailed X-ray imaging available to clinicians 24 hours-a-day, supporting them in making urgent and often life-saving diagnoses.
The new facility was part funded by NHS England who supported the purchase of a new state-of-the-art CT scanner alongside Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals’ own capital investment programme. The Trust made it possible to reconfigure the department to accommodate the scanner and provide an improved environment for those undergoing urgent diagnostic scans.
Patients will also benefit from increased privacy as the department has been thoughtfully designed with a two-bed waiting bay with ambient and skylight ceiling lighting in the scanning area to help put patients more at ease.
A computerised tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to create detailed images of the inside of the body including many structures including internal organs, blood vessels and bones. They can be used to diagnose conditions including damage to bones, injuries to internal organs and problems with blood flow which may be present in patients experiencing trauma, stroke or some cancers.
When not required for emergency care, the scanner will be used to support the wider radiography and scanning requirements for patients receiving care elsewhere in the hospital.
This CT scanner is one of a series of improvements to improve the experience of patients in the Emergency Department, following the opening of a Same Day Emergency Care Centre in July 2022 and a recent refurbishment of the waiting and triage areas.
Dan Moore, Chief Operating Officer said: “Our teams have once again demonstrated continued commitment to providing safe care and the best possible experience despite high levels of demand for emergency care and the challenges presented by the physical limitations of some of our older buildings.
“This new CT scanner situated within the heart of our emergency care services will be a real boost to our capacity to carry out urgent diagnostic tests. Providing our emergency clinicians with timely information to make diagnoses or plan for the next phase of care and treatment for patients will reduce any unnecessary waits in the department. Thank you to everyone involved in delivering this project.”
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