Louth hospital patients turned away after car blocks mobile scanner unit

MRI scanners use magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body

People waiting for MRI scans at a Lincolnshire hospital had to be turned away after a mobile unit was unable to move into place due to a parked car.

A total of 20 people missed their appointments on Wednesday at Louth County Hospital as the unit could not be manoeuvred to its dedicated space.

NHS patients from across Lincolnshire regularly use the privately-run unit.

The firm which runs the scanner has apologised and said in future the area would be cordoned off.

Ana Webster, 45, from Louth, one of those affected, said she was told on Wednesday that her appointment had to be cancelled as the scanner could not operate.

The mobile MRI scanner is usually parked in a dedicated space at Louth County Hospital

Ms Webster said it was frustrating to go to the appointment only for it to be cancelled.

She said: "I got there at 8 o'clock in the morning to find out it was not there.

"It was a bit disappointing to find out it couldn't be used."

Ms Webster said she had since been given a new appointment in December.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Practice Plus Group, which runs the scanner, said a car was parked directly outside the hospital entrance which meant staff could not safely reverse the mobile MRI unit into place.

It was the "first time in its long history at the site" that the scanner could not be safely parked, they added.

"This led to appointments on the mobile being postponed and we apologise to the patients affected," the spokesperson said.

"Appointments are being rescheduled, and the hospital estates team will ensure the area is fully cordoned-off in future."