Cutting-edge nuclear technology, that will give clinicians advanced imaging to detect cancer, kidney function, and other diseases, is now in operation at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
The hospital’s new gamma camera represents a £1.75m investment and will deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses and transform care for patients.
This state-of-the-art hybrid scanner, also known as scintillation camera, replaces a 16-year-old model. The new scanner offers faster and uncompromised 3D image clarity, allowing clinicians to examine the function of the body with precision – including the lungs, kidneys, and thyroid as well as bone scans, to detect abnormalities.
For some patients the scan time will be more than halved with this new investment, down to just 12 minutes per scan compared to 27 minutes with the previous camera. The advanced technology also means that the department can look to reduce the amount of radiation given to patients as the service develops.
Housed in a fully refurbished, lead lined area right in the heart of The QEH main Radiology department, the new camera is the latest nuclear medicine tool.
Patients coming for bones scans for example are injected with special liquid, called a radiopharmaceutical, up to two hours before their scan, which the gamma camera then detects. A dedicated waiting area and toilet facilities are all part of the new section giving patients privacy and a vastly improved experience from what is currently available.
Hannah St Barbe Oldham, Nuclear Medicine Lead Radiographer, explains: “The technology we now have within this gamma camera is far exceeds what we have been able to offer until now. The clarity of the 3D images this machine produces will transform the care we can give to patients. Giving our clinicians and surgeons an exact, detailed 3D image will make treating patients faster and ultimately give our patients a better outcome.
“It’s fantastic to see this investment at The QEH and for our local community. I am excited to start implementing new procedures to prevent our patients travelling long distances to receive these kinds of scans.”
The new gamma camera will mainly be used for outpatient appointments, meaning patients will be home on the same day, but those staying in hospital can also use the facility.
Steven Hewson was one of the first patients to use this new facility for a scan on both his knees after a long history of knee pain. Steven said: “The team at the scan was really good. It was nice to use a brand-new scanner, and all in all I received good service.”
Alice Webster, CEO, said: “The arrival of the new gamma camera is one of several projects we are investing in to transform care for our patients, with significant investments in both buildings and state-of-the-art equipment. This new equipment only further enhances the skills of our staff as we work towards a New QEH for 2030.”
