A new £1.5million MRI scanner has been funded for South Bristol Community Hospital (SBCH).

The scanner and its pod was funded by a generous legacy donation from Rosemary Gladys Hawkins.

Staff are currently undertaking training with the new scanner, but when fully operational it will perform around 25 scans per day.

Cathy Walsh, Head of Radiology Services, said: “The new scanner is a highly specialist piece of equipment that will enable us to image the head and joints in new ways which will better support treatment decisions.

“This is the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust’s first 3T scanner for adults and it gives us the opportunity to develop new and innovate ways of imaging in a relaxed outpatient environment, which means that some groups of patients can avoid the travel into Bristol city centre for scans.”

Paul Kearney, Above & Beyond CEO, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to provide this piece of equipment, providing world-class clinical facilities to the hospital.

“We are extremely grateful to the Hawkins and Heal families for their bequest that will make a huge difference to how patients are treated in South Bristol.”

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