Southampton trust opens £12.2m MRI outpatients unit

A £12.2 million MRI outpatients department that provides three state-of-the-art MRI systems has opened at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Doctors, specialist radiographers and the radiology management team played a key role in the design of the facility, which is located next to the front entrance of the hospital. Taking more than three years to complete, the department has been officially handed over to the trust by contractors Apollo Building Services.

Around 23,000 patients are seen in the MRI outpatient department every year. The old unit was in need of modernisation, so a decision was made to replace it and move the facilities to the ground floor of a five-storey block. Part of a 13-year Imaging Infrastructure Support Service partnership with Siemens Healthineers, the project was paid for by the trust and NHS England.

As well as being considerably larger, the facility was designed to accommodate the specific needs of patients, featuring separate lounges for adults and children, private interview rooms for confidential discussions and dedicated changing facilities to maintain patient privacy throughout appointments.

The unit will feature two 1.5T Siemens Magnetom Sola systems and one 3.0T Siemens Magnetom Vida equipped with the latest technology and AI integration. These scanners provide advanced techniques that result in faster imaging, improved image quality and enhanced patient comfort.

Consultant radiologist and clinical lead for radiology Dr Charles Peebles commented: “This amazing new facility is the result of collaboration across many trust and external teams. It truly embodies the trust’s values, putting patients first by creating a modern, spacious, innovative MRI suite with state- of-the-art technology, enabling more patients to be seen and providing enhanced patient care and an improved work environment for staff.”

One of the first patients to use the new unit was John Lailey from Andover, who said: “I hated my last MRI experience and was very nervous to have another, but the scan was needed before my operation.

“However, I really shouldn’t have worried as I was blown away by my whole experience. From the cleanliness and design of the facilities to the personal changing rooms and lockers, it all made a real difference to how I was feeling. That, along with how wonderful each and every member of staff was, helped make a stressful situation a lot easier.”

Staff have undergone four weeks of training on the new equipment and have been familiarising themselves with the new facility.

Head of enterprise services at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland Andy Wilks added: “A close and long-standing partnership between Siemens Healthineers and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust ensures it consistently benefits from the latest imaging technology.”

Picture: The MRI unit was officially opened by chair of the trust board Jenni Douglas-Todd.

Read this report on page 22 of the December 2024 issue of RAD Magazine.