New facility to reduce scan waiting times for Bristol hospital patients
Watch Max Walsh's full report.
Hospitals in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire have been given a major boost after agreeing a contract with a biomedical firm.
NHS trusts operating in the city and surrounding counties have come together to increase their diagnostic capacity.
They have offered a 12-month contract to UK Biobank, which is a large-scale biomedical database and research centre, to carry out certain services.
This includes MRI scans, with up to 150 of those to be carried out at the company’s Filton facility.
This represents a 15 per cent rise in local diagnostic capacity, which has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Reduce waiting times’
Robert Woolley, who is University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, said: “This is welcome news and a result of the fantastic collaboration between staff working together for the benefit of local people.
“The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on our existing scanning capacity and while we have been working hard to prioritise people most in need, this extra resource will have a positive impact on hospital pressures and help reduce waiting times for scans.
Gareth Gregory, who is the Chief Finance Officer for UK Biobank, added: “We are delighted that our new imaging facility will be used to ease some of the pressures faced by the NHS through this difficult period.
“Whilst our multi-organ scanning project is on hold, our skilled team are eager to help increase local scanning capacity to benefit the local people of Bristol and its surrounding region, who have always supported our research very generously.”
As well as MRIs, UK Biobank will also perform musculoskeletal and neurological scans.
It will not, however, treat any patients with coronavirus - though strict infection prevention controls have been put in place to prevent any further spread of the virus.
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