THE first patients have been scanned by a new gamma camera, which will increase capacity for cancer scanning and reduce waiting times for patients, at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

It is housed in a new unit and patient Simon Burgess was one of the first patients to receive a scan on the day the unit opened.

He said: “It is good to have this new facility here – it is nice to be in a new, bright, clean and fresh environment.”

The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust (SaTH) secured £3.6 million to build the unit and install a new gamma camera. It is the largest single investment in nuclear medicine that Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has seen historically.

The camera is used to detect cancer, paediatric conditions and other acute conditions and will produce better quality images.

A team of radiographers and an assistant practitioner specialising in nuclear medicine radiography work along the radiologist in the new unit, which is next to the evolution scanning unit that houses a CT and an MRI scanner.

It is also hoped that the equipment will attract staff with specialist skills and help with retention of the trust's workforce.

Dr Laurence Ginder, Associate Medical Director at SaTH, said: “It’s fantastic that the unit is now open and the first patients have been scanned using the new gamma camera.

“This long-awaited investment secures a nuclear medicine imaging service for the future. It has the potential for us to expand our imaging capabilities, improving the diagnosis and treatment pathway for our patients.

“The modern surroundings also create a better environment for both colleagues and patients. The project will lead to an improved hospital experience for our patients.”