New ‘state-of-the-art’ CT scanner at Royal Hobart Hospital to improve patient outcomes: Doctor
A Tasmanian hospital has got its hands on a ‘state-of-the-art’ new piece of equipment which it says will make life easier for both anxious patients and stressed clinicians. What it will do.
Tasmania
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The head of the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Emergency Department says the installation of a new “state-of-the-art” CT scanner will improve outcomes for patients and reduce stress for clinicians working in a “highly stressful and time-poor environment”.
The SOMATOM X.ceed CT, engineered and manufactured by medical technology company Siemens Healthineers, is one of the fastest computed tomography (CT) scanners on the market and boasts the largest bore size of any diagnostic CT.
It has replaced a machine that was damaged as a result of a burst water pipe earlier this year and is one of two CT scanners at the hospital.
A CT scan is a type of X-ray that is used to make two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the inside of a person’s body, enabling doctors to diagnose different medical conditions.
Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Emergency Department director, Dr Paul Scott, said the RHH had seen a 2.3 per cent annual average increase in patients presenting to the ED since 2017, which was piling further pressure on health workers.
“As more patients are presenting to our emergency department, our clinicians are making decisions in a highly stressful and time-poor environment. Having access to a hi-tech machine such as the SOMATOM X.ceed CT will make routine CT scans faster and more automated, reducing stress for clinicians and boosting diagnostic confidence,” he said.
Dr Scott said the new machine would improve patient comfort, reduce ED turnaround times and ease ambulance ramping.
Health Minister Guy Barnett said the installation of the CT scanner was made possible by a “more than $1 million” investment from the state government.
“This is a hi-tech, state-of-the-art piece of equipment that is providing improved image quality and reduced scan times,” he said.
“This is a win-win for Tasmanian patients and our hardworking hospital staff. It is positive for patients because it means they can be more quickly and accurately diagnosed, in time-critical situations. The scanner also provides for increased comfort for patients.”
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Originally published as New ‘state-of-the-art’ CT scanner at Royal Hobart Hospital to improve patient outcomes: Doctor
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