Arrival of digital PETCT system at Norfolk and Norwich kicks off expansion plans

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has opened its new PETCT centre to improve access to advanced cancer diagnostics for patients in the east of England.

Working in partnership with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Alliance Medical progressed the PETCT service on site from a mobile scanner to a specialist scanning centre in November 2019. A new digital scanner became operational in April, which has improved image quality and increased capacity.

The new scanner and PETCT centre was officially opened by the trust’s chair Tom Spink on October 17. Alliance Medical’s £5 million investment will provide the community with greater access to appointments, reduced scan times, better imaging quality and more accurate treatment plans. It has increased daily  appointments from 20 to 24, with further expansion plans set to double the size of the centre, moving from three bays to six in 2024, and seeing 32 patients a day.

Alliance Medical’s £5 million investment will provide the community with greater access to appointments, reduced scan times, better imaging quality and more accurate treatment plans. It has increased daily appointments from 20 to 24, with further expansion plans set to double the size of the centre, moving from three bays to six in 2024, and seeing 32 patients a day. Alliance Medical chief operating officer Sasha Burns said: “The launch of this new scanner illustrates the continual investment we are making in PETCT. As the national PETCT contract holder for NHS England, we are dedicated to improving diagnostic pathways that lead to better access, treatment options and overall survival rates. This new service will enable us to reach even more patients, increasing scanning capacity in the area and reducing waiting times with state-of-the-art digital scanning technology.”

The digital PETCT system is available for patients with a clinical referral and has appointments available six days a week. Spink commented: “We know how essential PETCT scans are for cancer patients and the facilities offered here provide superior image quality and reduced waiting times. This building first opened in November 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is fantastic to have a permanent PETCT scanner on our site, which is also used by referrers at the other two acute hospitals in Norfolk.”

Picture: Trust chair Tom Spink opens the PETCT centre at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Published on page 3 of the December 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.