Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is pleased to announce the commissioning of a new, state of the art, 3 Tesla MRI scanner at Darent Valley Hospital (DVH). This is the most advanced MRI scanner in Kent and will complement our existing 1.5 Tesla scanner. The new scanner is part of a £4 million investment in the hospital’s Radiology department.
The scanner went live in mid-August and is now embedded into the imaging armamentarium of DVH. It is located in a newly developed suite in the Radiology department.
The commissioning of the new MRI scanner is a major milestone in the hospital’s transformation programme. The Radiology department is now one of the most modern and well-equipped hospitals in the UK which reflects on its current status as the best performing Radiology department in England. It is a testament to the hospital’s commitment to providing high-quality care to its patients.
The scanner will produce more detailed images, especially in the brain, joints and the prostate. We are now looking to image patients with cardiac pacemakers and a specific pathway for children, including an emerging pathway of scanning under anaesthesia, something we were not able to do before. There are special features incorporated and when fully established, will help in patients being relaxed and reduce the anxiety that some of our patients experience.
Professor Sriprasad the Divisional Medical Director said “We are proud to have this scanner which has a great spectrum of imaging capabilities and a great help to the clinicians and most importantly, benefits patients. A big thanks to the entire team of Radiology and the management of Darent Valley Hospital who made this happen.”