After years of working together, fundraisers and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) have welcomed the arrival and installation of the giant MRI scanner magnet last weekend.
Work on creating the new suite, which will include the £465,000 MRI scanner, clinical rooms and waiting areas for both outpatients and inpatients, is now well underway.
Chairman of the Louth Scanner Appeal, Trevor Marris, started the appeal back in 2004 while serving as the Mayor of Louth. He said: “This is a really exciting and momentous day in our appeal. Thanks to the generosity and support of the people of Louth we are seeing our dream become a reality right in front of our eyes.
“By working together with the Trust, we will soon have the scanner in place to help 8,000 patients a year from Louth and the surrounding rural areas, rather than them having to travel further afield.”
The MRI suite is located at the front of the hospital grounds and the scanner will provide much more detailed and faster scans. It will also help to improve cancer treatment as patients can be scanned earlier, leading to a quicker diagnosis and being able to start treatment sooner.
Chris Bilton, ULHT’s MRI Service Lead, said: “Seeing the magnet being craned into place was a fantastic and welcomed site. This is a huge step forward for the hospital, and we couldn’t have done it without the appeal and the support it has received from local people.”