Our next key priority is to improve access to world-class Radiology at Pinderfields Hospital. Located in Wakefield, this is the largest of the Trust’s three hospitals and a designated ‘hot site’ for acute and urgent care. Home to a Major Trauma Unit, Spinal Injuries Unit and the regional Adults and Children’s Burns Centre, its clinicians and staff team primarily serve around 500,000 people, with approximately 3.5 million residents from West, North and East Yorkshire, as well as people in North Lincolnshire, in occasional specialist services.

Pinderfields is also the busiest of the Trust’s hospitals providing an exceptional level of care to more than 127,000 patients a year. Over 58,000 of these are A&E admissions and at least 35% will require some form of medical imaging. Others may be attending as outpatients and seeking diagnosis or treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer. Whatever their reasons for admission, patients are usually in the grip of a potentially life-changing situation; one that demands a highly effective response where speed is of the essence. In this extremely pressured context, time spent with the radiology team is often critical to achieving the best outcome for both patients and their families.

In recent years, Pinderfields has successfully introduced a number of innovative programmes aimed at reducing the stress and anxiety associated with acute and emergency medicine. From minimising waiting times to making it possible for patients to see a specialist and oncologist on the same day, the approach has been pragmatic and holistic. This is especially important for patients seen in Radiology and it’s the reason why our next major project at Pinderfields is to fund a new generation, 3.0 Tesla MRI (Phillips) scanner as part of the redevelopment of our Radiology Suite.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a diagnostic technique that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce a precise picture of the part of the body under investigation, has been available since the hospital opened in 2011. The existing 1.5 Tesla machine is used to assist everything from neurosurgical intervention to cancer diagnosis, but its technology and capacity is becoming more and more stretched. Year on year, the Trust has seen demand for MRI scans at Pinderfields increase by as much as 11%. Many of these cases are children, requiring imaging that needs to be completed under general anaesthetic. These are more complex to arrange and currently not suited to the existing scanner’s specification. The result is that at least 100 paediatric cases a year are redirected to either Leeds or Sheffield – and for children and their parents this can be incredibly challenging.

For those who suffer from claustrophobia, the current machine can also exacerbate feelings of stress and tension brought on by the prospect of lying in an enclosed space for a considerable length of time. And, when the scanner goes down or requires servicing, this inevitably causes significant logistical issues for both patients and staff.

So far, staff have coped with some of these challenges by working 12 hours a day and running weekend appointment schedules. In addition, mobile MRI and CT scanners are now permanently on site, which has helped to alleviate the situation but also created significant extra costs. Clearly, we need to do more for both our patients and a radiology team tasked with working around the clock. The proposed installation of a new 3.0 Tesla scanner, with twice the MR field strength of its predecessor will transform the outcomes for adults and children by;

Reducing patient anxiety with shorter waiting and scanning times - The new machine will complete each set of images more quickly, making it possible for us to increase the number of scans each year significantly.

Providing more accurate diagnosis and follow-up treatment plans - More sophisticated imaging will make it easier to identify smaller tumours, damaged blood vessels and injured joints, reducing need for future biopsies or painful injections prior to arthrograms.

Easing unnecessary stress and discomfort - Whole body scans will take as little as 30 minutes, making it easier for people to tolerate what can otherwise be an uncomfortable or distressing experience. A more spacious magnet component will also help patients to combat difficult sensations or feelings of claustrophobia.

Providing music and entertainment options to help create a greater sense of calm - Patients will be able to watch their favourite YouTube programmes or choose from a selection of music channels.

Having the most recent technology within the Radiology department will also attract the highest calibre of staff to Pinderfields. In purchasing the most powerful MRI scanner currently available, we will be investing in an outstanding level of care for the next decade and opening up opportunities to participate in ground-breaking imaging research. So, whether a patient has fallen down the stairs, suffered a stroke or been involved in a serious road traffic accident, the new MRI scanner will be critical to swift diagnosis, careful triaging and potentially life-saving surgery. It could also play an invaluable role in advancing specialist research not just at home, but around the globe.