The much-awaited CT scanner, funded by the Blue Skies Hospital Fund, has officially arrived and is now operational at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Patients will now benefit from this state-of-the-art technology improving the accessibility of acute CT imaging and facilitating reduced waiting times in the ED for diagnostic imaging.

Ben Ward, CT imaging manager commented: ‘Direct access to a CT scanner in A&E will streamline pathways for many patients requiring a time critical diagnosis, allowing a much higher proportion of stroke patients to be scanned within the national one- hour target.

CT scanning capacity will also be increased significantly, improving the turnaround of other CT referrals from acute units such as Same Day Emergency Care, which will reduce the need for inpatient admissions.

Technical advancements of the new scanner will also future proof the Trust’s CT imaging service in-line with continuously evolving clinical guidelines. As tertiary cardiac centre, it is imperative that the Trust can undertake cardiac CT imaging in the acute setting to exclude pathologies such as coronary artery disease, dissection and pulmonary embolism. The new scanner will be fully cardiac enabled, capable of acquiring images of these complex patients using very low radiation doses.’

A Blue Skies spokesperson said, ‘It’s with thanks to the generosity of our wonderful community, that we were able to purchase this state-of-the-art CT scanner, costing £500k, which is now located in the new Emergency village at Blackpool Teaching Hospital.’