Hospital says toy MRI scanner helps save £150k

Toys are put in the 'kitten scanner' to reassure children

A toy MRI scanner, designed to put children at ease before real scans, has saved £150,000 in sedation and care costs, health officials said.

The Kitten Scanner at Grantham District Hospital is a miniature version of an MRI machine and allows young children to pretend to scan toys.

Sandy Crook, play leader from the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS group, said the scanner had been "overwhelmingly successful" since it was purchased two years ago.

"I know from speaking to many parents they are thankful for the Kitten Scanner and that their little ones don't need to go through sedation."

Ms Crook said staff understood hospital visits could be "daunting" for people, and the MRI scanner was "a noisy machine which can be difficult for patients to tolerate".

After the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity purchased the miniature scanner for £15,000, Ms Crook said she was able to show children the device to play with.

"When they are comfortable, I take them over to the MRI unit for their scan," she said.

"After their scan, they get a certificate, which is always very well received."

As well as calming children, Ms Crook said the kitten scanner had saved money "by avoiding sedation, as well as the time and costs associated with a short hospital stay on a ward to recover from a general anaesthetic".

After the success of Grantham and District Hospital's scanner, Ms Crook said there was a possibility more scanners could be purchased for other locations.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices