TAMESIDE Hospital has opened its revamped £1.5 million MRI scanner suite – and it’s a far cry from the bare, clinical rooms many patients might expect.
After a 16-week refurb, the Ashton-based hospital has introduced new features aimed at making scans less intimidating, particularly for children and people who struggle with anxiety or claustrophobia.
The suite now includes an entertainment system that can project lights, images, films and TV shows – both onto the scanner and on a wall-mounted screen, turning what is normally a tense procedure into something far more manageable.
Staff say the difference is already obvious, with patients engaging more easily and younger visitors arriving with far less fear.
The scanner itself – a GE Signa Artist model – has been upgraded with the latest imaging software, giving clinicians sharper, faster and more detailed results.
Around 140 to 160 patients – from outpatients to emergency admissions – are expected to use the scanner each week. Crucially, the new set-up also means sedated patients can now be scanned on-site, something the hospital couldn’t previously offer.
“We are proud that Tameside Hospital is one of the first in the country to become home to an inclusive, child-friendly MRI scanning suite like this,” said Matthew Kilheeney, Radiology Manager.
“It will be a real game-changer, especially for our young patients and those with additional needs or anxieties.”
MRI scanners are a crucial tool for diagnosing a wide range of conditions – from cancers to neurological illnesses such as epilepsy – and the hospital says the aim now is to make that process as stress-free as possible.