New site at Kent and Canterbury
InHealth to deliver NHS PET/CT South Service at Kent and Canterbury Hospital
Following the success of the Department of Health, NHS scheme to deliver PET/CT scanning across the south of England, it has been agreed that InHealth will add an additional site at Kent and Canterbury Hospital to serve the Oncology unit based there. As a result East Kent patients can be scanned closer to where they are treated and live. The Service is currently delivered in Maidstone, with patients travelling for this specialised scan. Patients will now have the choice of both locations.
The help of East Kent Primary Care Trust and East Kent Hospitals’ NHS Trust has been fundamental to making this new service happen by providing the facilities to allow the InHealth Mobile scanner and its staff to operate.
“I am delighted to offer a complete local mobile PET/CT service on the Kent and Canterbury site to the patients we serve in East Kent. PET/CT is the latest imaging tool to diagnose both cancer and non-cancer related disease. This technology is able to identify and localise areas of the body with disease before this becomes apparent with standard imaging techniques. This results in early diagnosis and treatment and hence better clinical outcomes. Our patients in East Kent will no longer need to travel long distances for this scan. The new scanner will enable faster turnaround of reporting, a more personalised service for our patients and better support services to the mobile unit. Exciting developments in the field of PET/CT means more and more patients will benefit from this service and the local nuclear medicine service is already working with the Primary Care Trust to make this service even better for our patients.”
Dr Gordon Ellul MD MSc MRCP(UK), Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician, Kent & Canterbury Hospital
The weekly Service at Kent and Canterbury Hospital began on the 24th June. The unit, which contains the scanner, is a purpose built facility with dedicated patient rest areas and a modern PET/CT scanner. Whilst on site it is connected to the hospital and operated under the authority of the Nuclear Medicine Consultant. Up to 14 patients will be scanned in any one visit with results and images available to the Oncologists within 48 hours, following reporting by local Nuclear Medicine clinicians.
