7:10am Thursday 18th March 2010
By Flicky Harrison
Political comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner cut the ribbon on the £1.2m state-of-the-art CT scanner at Swindon’s Great Western Hospital yesterday.
And it sounded as though he brought a few friends to help him, including David Cameron, George Bush, John Major and even Peter Mandelson, as he ran through his repertoire of impressions.
The new scanner is part of the hospital’s ongoing project to expand the service and will mean a huge improvement both in waiting times and in quicker diagnosis of emergency patients.
Rory was given a tour of the radiology department before opening the scanner which resembles the Stargate from the sci-fi TV programme. He was impressed by what he called an amazing bit of kit.
“I have never seen anything that strips people down to a skeleton,” he said.
“You can see the body in slices from top to bottom. I won’t look at salami in the same way again, but it is great to see a new generation of technology and come and look behind the scenes – so cool! It’s amazing.”
Dr Andy Beale, a consultant radiologist at GWH, invited the comedian to the scanner launch but he joked that he only asked Rory because Louis Walsh wasn’t available. Rory responded in the Irishman’s distinctive voice that it must have been the X-ray factor and every hospital should have one.
The consultant said 16,500 scans were carried out last year and with the new piece of technology that number would double and the scanner would allow more cardiac scanning, imaging the heart and coronary arteries.
“We will be able to see the heart between beats. When it is stationary it is more in focus,” he said.
“The CT scanner is rather like cars; they get updated. This is the newer, faster version. It’s going to be a good time.”
While the technology wowed the comedian he did not forget the hospital staff who will be operating the machinery.
Rory said: “The guys and girls who operate this amazing machinery – I take my hat off to them, and my coat and my shoes... It is great that this is happening in the NHS.”
One of the operators is Claire Brettle who is radiology superintendent.
She has done 30 cardiac imaging scans in the three weeks since the CT scanner has been running.
On the day of the launch it was only quiet for the two hours of the opening ceremony and then it was straight back to business.
Claire said: “It is very exciting. We are fortunate and lucky to have this second scanner because it allows us to use other techniques such as allowing a different way of looking at the colon. It is less invasive and the 3D controls are up and away the best.’’
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/trade_directory/