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New CT scanner at the Horton means less travel to Oxford

10/07/2017
This article is more than six years old.

A newly-installed CT scanner at the Horton General Hospital now means that cardiac CT imaging can now be done in Banbury for the first time.

£2.5 million pounds has been invested in the state-of-the-art 64 slice scanner, and on a full refurbishment of the treatment room which includes a new air-conditioning system.

The previous scanner was a 16 slice model. CT scanner machines are differentiated by the number of slices they have, with the slice number representing the number of images the scanner can record during one gantry rotation. It means that the new 64 slice scanner produces much clearer images, resulting in more accurate diagnoses for patients. 

Waiting times for patients will be reduced because the new scanner is much quicker, taking a third of the time of the previous model.

The scanner features special low-dose radiation technology which enhances patient safety by significantly reducing exposure to radiation. The Trust is aiming to reduce the amount of radiation emitted during a scan by up to 70 percent. This is especially helpful for patients who need multiple radiation exposures over a long period of time, and for children whose immature tissues can be more sensitive to radiation.

Ms Toni Hall, Radiology Clinical Unit Operations Manager said: "This investment will improve care for our patients in Banbury and north Oxfordshire. Not only does this mean that fewer patients will have to travel to Oxford to access CT scans there, but the quality of the diagnostic is much better too."