Over 19,000 patients have now been scanned for the new MRI and Reporting Procurement contract for the NHS in England. Using 12 brand new state of the art mobile 1.5T scanners, this is the first initiative of this scale across the NHS and is equivalent to a 16% increase in MRI capacity. All of the scanner equipment, Radiography staff, bookings team and support staff have been provided by Alliance Medical.

Some examples of recent local press reports covering the arrival of local mobile MRI scanners are shown below:

Press report from Braintree & Whitham Weekly News, Thursday 11th November 2004

Scans waiting time reduced. Waiting times for cancer patients needing scans have been reduced by Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

Patients on the waiting list for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were having to wait up to 14 weeks but private scan provider Alliance Medical stepped into the breach last week taking on 120 patients and reducing waiting times to 11 weeks.

Richard Hammond, General Manager for Radiology said “Our waiting list is relatively short compared to many trusts, but we are still keen to do whatever we can to shorten it further and we plan to have Alliance Medical back early in the New Year”.

Press report from Midhurst & Petworth Observer, Thursday 25th November 2004

A mobile MRI scanner will visit St Richard’s Hospital for two weeks from January 4, 2005 as part of a national waiting list initiative funded by the Department of Health. More than 200 patients who are waiting for an MRI scan and who fit strict criteria have been sent a letter inviting them to have their scan in the mobile unit provided by Alliance Medical.

The unit has toured various hospitals in the south and operates seven days a week at 8am-8pm. It is staffed by a team from Alliance Medical.

Director of Planning Nick Fox said: “Local people will recall that our own MRI machine arrived this year thanks to an enormously successful charitable appeal and was operational in April. The need for an MRI at St Richard’s was such that from the outset we began with 700 patients on our waiting list before any new referrals were received.”

“The opportunity to enable certain patients, namely those who are medically fit with lumbar or knee pain to have their scan earlier than otherwise would have been possible, was offered in August this year. This waiting list initiative is funded centrally by the Department of Health.”

Director of Planning, Partnerships and Commissioning, Western Sussex Primary Care Trust, Sara Weech said: “We are really delighted that we have been bale to secure additional MRI facilities which will shortern the length of time patients have to wait.”

The mobile unit will be parked near the ambulance entrance to A&E and patients will register at the scanning suite reception desk in medical imaging. Patients will be escorted to the unit by a member of staff from Alliance Medical.”