Former England rugby player opens MRI unit at Spire St Anthony’s

Former Rugby Union player Tom Rees.

Former England Rugby Union player, flanker for London Wasps and recently qualified doctor Tom Rees was on hand to open a new £2.7 million MRI scanner at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital in Sutton.

Rees spoke to an audience of invited patients, specialist orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and trainers who are all involved with the Sports Injury Clinic at Spire St Anthony’s.  In an insightful talk about his career, his persistent injuries and transition into medicine he said: “I think I had my first MRI scan when I was 17 years old but during my career they became too numerous to count. If you play rugby at high level, you are rarely fully fit.”

Spire hospital director Bryan Harty said: “We were delighted Tom could officially open our new MRI scanner; we have just invested £2.7 million into a new Siemens Magnetom Aera. Open six days a week the scanner will improve patient access to what is a vital diagnostic tool and help our consultants diagnose faster, which ultimately benefits patients. Whether it is sportsmen like Tom or patients with less extreme injuries, the aim is always to get people a diagnosis and a care pathway as soon as possible.”

See the full report on page 18 of the June 2018 issue of RAD Magazine.