Leeds trust offers SPECTCT for the first time

LTHT PFI/PPP equipment contract manager Robert Colbeck, radiographer Thomas Lee, consultant radiologist and clinical lead for nuclear medicine Dr Fahmid Chowdhury, consultant radiologist Dr Chirag Patel, principal nuclear medicine physicist Mark Barnfield and Medipass Healthcare commercial technical associate director Stewart MacDuff.

One of the largest cancer centres in Europe has commissioned a GE Discovery NM/CT 670 gamma camera. Leeds Cancer Centre at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) worked with Medipass Healthcare, which provided the equipment under a 15-year MES contract.

LTHT was able to adjust its planned procurement cycle to match its clinical strategy at no additional cost due to the flexibility of the contract.  Medipass manages a fleet of nearly 60 machines in Leeds from various major manufacturers.

Consultant radiologist and clinical lead for nuclear medicine Dr Fahmid Chowdhury said: “Working with Medipass, the commissioning and installation of the Discovery NM/CT 670 at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is a hugely exciting development.  This makes state-of-the-art hybrid SPECTCT available to our patients for the first time.  It will not only improve diagnostic ability in many areas of nuclear medicine, such as oncological and musculoskeletal applications, but through the provision of the latest CT and SPECT technologies in tandem, has the ability to optimise radiation doses while also potentially streamlining imaging pathways.”

See this report on page 15 of the August 2014 issue of RAD Magazine.