Patients benefit from $1.7 million scanner

Patients are set to benefit from a new $1.7 million scanner at Wairau Hospital.

An increase in demand for scans means hospital radiology staff are now seeing an average of 19 patients a day.

The move brings the region in line with the rest of the country for the gold standard in acute stroke imaging and will hopefully help save lives.

Lexie O’Shea, Nelson Marlborough Group Director Operations - Hospital and Specialist Services, Te Whatu Ora says Wairau and Nelson Hospitals have been seeing a rise in patient numbers.

“This is partly down to growing clinical staff numbers referring to Radiology Medical Imaging Technologists who are now based in the department 24/7, and the approval of new pharmaceuticals which require scans as part of monitoring.

“The team is very excited to have a new scanner platform to learn from.”

Another new CT scanner is due to arrive at Nelson Hospital next month, bringing the total to two, taking the investment to about the $6.5 million mark.

Since 2017, the number of scans being done at Wairau Hospital has increased every year to 6964 in 2023. This is almost 2000 more than seven years ago.

Marlborough’s new scanner is currently being stored in Blenheim as preparation work gets underway at Wairau Hospital.

Final costs include materials to prevent radiation exposure outside the unit, physics testing and building changes to facilitate the new water-cooling system.

The investment will help staff cope with an increase in demand Lexie says and benefit patients directly.

Patients will experience increased comfort thanks to more space, as well as a quieter environment due to an upgrade from an air-cooled system to the scanner being water-cooled.

The updated technology also results in a radiation dose reduction.