Dorset’s first ever static PET/CT scanner has been officially opened at Poole Hospital.
The first of its kind in the UK, the £2.5m state-of-the-art scanner helps identify changes in the size and location of cancers.
The scanner provides hybrid diagnostic imaging, combining PET and CT imaging, as well as PET or CT scans individually. The images produced indicate to clinicians the effectiveness of the body’s response to cancer treatment.
The scanner uses lower doses of radiation making it safer for patients, and provides the most detailed imaging ever. It replaces a mobile unit, which visited the hospital three times a week.
This static scanner also allows children and inpatients to be assessed at the hospital for the first time. The newly refurbished PET/CT department is more spacious and comfortable for patients than the mobile unit and offers the chance for the hospital to take part in research studies.
The facility was officially opened on Friday (11 August) by guest of honour, international actor, Guy Henry. Guy has starred in films including Star Wars: Rogue One and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2, as well the Holby City TV series and is a patron of the cancer treatment trust.
Dr Angus Wood, a consultant radiologist at Poole Hospital and deputy medical director said: “It’s a tremendous privilege to have the UK’s most advanced PET/CT scanner here at Poole Hospital.
“This state-of-the-art facility represents a real step change in our ability to monitor cancers and plan with even greater accuracy each patient’s treatment.
“It is a great example of partnership working that is making a real difference to patients’ lives.”
The scanner has been in operation since April 2017.
