A £1.2m state-of-the-art Canon CT Aquillion ONE PRISM scanner has begun scanning patients at Warrington Hospital, thanks to investment provided by the Department of Health in October 2019. The Trust was one of 78 Trusts nationally to receive funding to upgrading aging equipment to support better identification of cancers and more accurate treatment regimes. Warrington took delivery of the first Canon CT PRISM to be commissioned and installed in the UK making the hospital a national reference site.

The Trust funded the cost of refurbishing and extending the scanning centre through its annual capital programme.

Simon Constable, chief executive said: “This is a major upgrade to our diagnostic capability using state-of the art technology that offers lower noise and finer, sharper images. We have also extended our scanning suite, creating a welcoming environment to improve our patients’ experience and provide higher levels of privacy and dignity while waiting for their scans.

"This has been a long time in the planning and I’d like to thank our patients and their relatives for bearing with us as we had to use a temporary scanner while the installation took place - building is continuing to create the extension to the CT department.

We are also extremely grateful to those who donated to Warrington and Halton Hospitals’ charity (WHH Charity) which provided the funding for the above-and-beyond ‘sky ceiling’. Having a CT scan can be a daunting experience and our new luminous ceiling supports peace and relaxation which correspondingly produces a superior image.”

Photo: The CT imaging team with the new scanner