New £2.2m CT scanner will make ‘incredible difference’
PATIENTS across West Wales have been given a boost following the installation of a new £2.2m CT scanner at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.
The scanner, which has been funded by a Welsh Government grant, incorporates the latest technology and Hywel Dda University Health Board says it will vastly improve the patient experience with increased resolution and faster scan times.
Wrist and elbow scans can now be performed with the patient sitting in a chair and scan imaging can be performed in 4D.
Cardiac scans can be acquired in a single heartbeat and will allow the hospital to provide a cardiac CT service to patients.
The new scanner also means brain scans can be completed in one rotation, which will benefit paediatric patients.
The scanner also has an extended table length which means it can scan from head to feet.
Sarah Procter, lead superintendent radiographer at Glangwili Hospital, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have this piece of technology at the health board.
“It will make an incredible difference, it is much more patient friendly and produces vastly superior image quality.
“Thank you to all involved in the procurement, construction and installation.”
In an additional boost, the hospital’s radiology department has also been carefully redesigned to improve the patient experience, and now boasts two separate waiting rooms for inpatients and outpatients, patient toilets, a changing room and a cannulation area.
The unit is decorated with murals of Carmarthenshire’s landscapes and includes adjustable lighting.
Andrew Carruthers, the health board’s executive director of operations, said: “This investment from the Welsh Government will be a great benefit to our patients.
“It will allow the health board to tackle our Covid-19 backlog by increasing our capacity and reducing waiting times.”