Rugby star opens new hi-tech scanners at Leeds hospital

The £2.6m MRI and CT scanners at the Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital will improve the care of patients with a host of conditions.

The Leeds Rhinos player said: “With a number of leading sportspeople recently hitting the headlines linked to their long-term health, particularly in relation to heart conditions, the opening of these two scanners is welcome.

“Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital is a centre used by amateur and professional athletes across the country and I’m delighted to open these additional new facilities, which will offer an important service to patients of all ages across the city and region.”

The CT scanner is the only one in West Yorkshire able to offer advanced cardiac imaging as it generates static images of the heart, meaning doctors can better pinpoint exact issues and plan the most effective treatment for patients.

It also enables the hospital to offer patients CT colonography for the first time, allowing studies of the bowel to be made without the need for invasive investigations.

The investment in the Siemens MRI scanner, which uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body, will provide enhanced imaging services for patients including those needing diagnostics tests for the liver, breast, bowel and prostate.

Andrew Pimperton, diagnostic services manager at the hospital, said: “This is an exciting development which will both enhance our patients’ experiences and assist our expert staff and nationally renowned consultants in providing the best healthcare and treatment.

“As a not-for-profit health organisation, Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital reinvests its profits in the latest technologies to ensure clinical excellence, innovation and a commitment to the long term health and wellbeing of our patients. As well as bringing new imaging services to the region, these two new state-of-the-art scanners also enhance existing services in fields including orthopaedics, neurology, urology and cancer diagnostics.”

Maria Robinson, interim hospital director, added: “This significant investment not only confirms out position as the leading private healthcare centre for scanning services in Leeds and the wider region but also as one of the most advanced private hospitals in the UK.

“We will continue to work as part of the city’s healthcare hub to deliver regional excellence for patients.”