New scanner for Rochdale Infirmary

New MR (magnetic resonance) scanner which will be installed at Rochdale Infirmary

Around 6,000 patients a year are set to benefit from a brand new MR (magnetic resonance) scanner which will be installed at Rochdale Infirmary.

The new £550,000 machine will replace the existing scanner which is 12 years old, next spring. Up to an additional £200,000 will also be spent on renovations and vital technology replacement to the scanner suite in preparation for the new equipment, depending on site surveys.

Housed in the radiology department at the Infirmary, it will be used for all inpatients and outpatients who are undergoing treatment at Rochdale Infirmary and will be used for musculoskeletal, neurology and oncology scans as well as angiograms.

Andrew Green, MR service manager, said: “The scanner at Rochdale Infirmary will undergo a new type of replacement programme, whereby the magnet will be kept in situ whilst the original hardware/software is removed and replaced with the latest versions. This will cut the replacement time in half for obtaining the new scanner and getting it operational.

”The new scanner will provide vital state-of-the-art imaging for our patients in an attractive environment with music available to put patients at their ease and increase their comfort.

“Staff will be trained to use the latest technology and software to provide the very best image quality whilst reducing scan times and increasing patient tolerance.”

Paul Barker, senior directorate manager, radiology and neurophysiology, said: “This new scanner will ensure that patients from the Rochdale borough will be getting the most accurate and fastest diagnosis possible.”

Magnetic resonance (MR) scanning works by creating very strong magnetic fields and radio frequency waves to produce incredibly detailed images of inside the body, without the use of ionising radiation or invasive procedures. The new scanner will be a GE Signa Explorer.