New £3.6m gamma camera hospital unit opens

Viv Orme, Nuclear Medicine Lead, explains the procedure for the scan to patient Simon Burgess

A new unit designed to reduce waiting times for patients in need of cancer scanning has now opened.

The £3.6m facility at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital includes a new gamma camera which is used to detect cancer, paediatric conditions and other acute conditions.

A team of radiographers and an assistant practitioner specialising in nuclear medicine radiography work along the radiologist in the new unit

It is also hoped that the equipment will attract staff with specialist skills and help with retention of the hospital's workforce.

Dr Laurence Ginder, associate medical director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), said: "This long-awaited investment secures a Nuclear Medicine Imaging service for the future.

"It has the potential for us to expand our imaging capabilities, improving the diagnosis and treatment pathway for our patients."

The investment in the new camera complements the facilities offered at the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which provides elective diagnostic tests and scans.