Proud hospital celebrates anniversary and milestone for MRI scanner
Patients, staff and health campaigners are celebrating a major anniversary and milestone at County Hospital in Louth.
For it is exactly five years since an invaluable MRI suite, complete with £465,000 scanner, was opened at the High Holme Road hospital.
And it has been revealed that a staggering total of 35,000 crucial scans have been undertaken on patients during that time, helping to diagnose conditions and even save lives.
Chris Bilton, MRI clinical specialist at the hospital, said: “We are very grateful to the local community for their support and generosity in helping to develop the MRI suite at County Hospital.
“Five years on, the facilities have supported approximately 35,000 scans to take place, giving local patients more choice and convenience for their care.
“As a team, we are very proud of the service we provide for our patients.”
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a type of scan that uses a very strong magnetic field and radiowaves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body.
It works by receiving a signal from the hydrogen protons within the patient. Powerful computers then turn this signal into an image.
It has the ability to see soft tissue very clearly, including that of the brain, muscles, organs, nerves, blood vessels and even bones.
The suite, which also includes clinical rooms and waiting areas for out-patients and in-patients, was opened after a concerted campaign and public fundraising appeal led by Trevor Marris.
Mr Marris launched the campaign back in 2004 while he was serving as mayor of Louth. It was such a massive success that he was able to present a cheque for £507,608 to the United Lincolnshire NHS Hospitals Trust (ULHT), which runs the hospital.
The state-of-the-art suite, which cost £850,000 in total, was created by transforming a former laundry building within the hospital grounds.
It was expected that up to 8,000 patients a year from Louth and the surrounding rural areas would use the scanner, rather than having to travel further afield.
At the time, the hospital described it as “a huge step forward” and hailed the public for their generous donations.
Beauty therapist Sophie Billingham, aged 29 from Louth, was the first patient to have a scan in the suite.
The mum-of-two said: “I had been having headaches for about four weeks. To be able to pop up the road for a scan to investigate what was going on was amazing.
"It saved me a lot of stress and worry. The building was really nice and the staff were lovely. I could not fault the service at all.”
Although the opening had to take place during a Covid-19 lockdown, Trevor described it as “a momentous occasion” and “a dream that has become a reality”.
In recent days, proud Trevor has visited the MRI suite and handed over a card to staff, congratulating them on the fifth anniversary.
"The fact that there have been 35,000 scans is a massive milestone for the hospital and for Louth,” he said.
"I want to thank all the people who helped to raise the £507,000 and to let everyone know how well the suite is doing. A lot of people still don’t know that it is there.”