January 2010
Graham Gooch OBE joined staff and local consultants at Spire Hartswood Hospital in Brentwood for the opening of the private hospital’s new £2.3M MRI scanning suite on Thursday 29 January.
The former Essex and England cricket captain officially unveiled the technologically advanced Siemens MAGNETOM Avanto MRI Scanner, which aims to deliver precise diagnostic images for a range of everyday and complex surgical requirements.
Patients will now benefit from fast scanning times and a comfortable and efficient scanning experience, with the low to the floor design making the scanner accessible for all.
The modern MRI scanner at Spire Hartswood will provide spinal, neurological, musculo-skeletal, orthopaedic, vascular, urological, and abdominal and breast procedures. With magnetic resonance imaging an increasingly important diagnostic tool, Mr Gordon MacLellan, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Spire Hartswood and Brentwood Borough Councillor, commented:
“Such a technological advance extends the services already offered by the hospital’s existing imaging department - including CT scanning, ultrasound, mammography, X-ray and bone density scans for osteoporosis.”
At the opening, Mr Gooch expressed his support for the project, highlighting the importance of diagnostics such as this throughout his sports career and pointed out that, “The new MRI scanner at Spire Hartswood means that local people of all ages will be able to benefit from some of the latest medical technology, available right on their doorstep”.
Mark Gilmour, Hospital Director, said, “I am delighted to have our new scanning suite open. In addition to excellent scanning quality for our consultants, patients will benefit from convenient appointment times six days a week, available to both privately insured and self-funding patients with a GP referral.”