News

State-of-the-art MRI scanner for Charing Cross Hospital 1 May 2024

We are investing in a state-of-the-art 3T MRI scanner for the Imaging department at Charing Cross Hospital, as a replacement for our existing 15-year-old scanner. This £3.4m investment is part of our wider estates investment plan.

In order to ensure we maintain MRI capacity during the installation works (7 May – 1 October 2024), most MRI outpatient care will be decanted to St Mary’s Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, and the Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre during this period. 

Benefits of the new scanner
The Philips 3T 7700 is one of the most advanced MRI scanners available. It offers a much wider range of scans and significantly improved images, assisted by the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which will improve our diagnostic capability and give us the ability to tailor scans more closely to patients’ needs. It will also provide a better experience for patients, with a screen and audio within the scanner to guide them through the scan itself. For some patients, it could also mean shorter scan times. We also have prism glasses, which enable patients to see outside the machine during the scan and can support with feelings of claustrophobia. 

We have also agreed to be a reference centre for the scanner in our region, which will mean we continue to receive the latest software updates and three months of training to support staff to use the equipment (from October 2024).

Minimising disruption
We are working with estates and facilities to ensure that the installation, which will be on the first floor of Charing Cross Hospital, has as little impact as possible. We expect the busiest periods to be during removal of the existing scanner in May and the introduction of the new scanner in September. 

Dr Amrish Mehta, consultant radiologist and director of women’s, cardiac, clinical support and sexual health services at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: "This investment is great news for staff and patients alike. This cutting edge technology will significantly improve our diagnostic capability and quality, allowing us to better tailor scans to patients' needs. The scanner itself also has features which I hope will make the experience a little easier for patients.

"Thank you to everyone involved in this exciting programme, including everyone supporting the temporary decant so we can maintain our MRI capacity during the installation."