North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has received the first CT container solution from Siemens Healthineers, which will provide a separate environment for the scanning of non-COVID-19 related examinations. With chest CT scans vital in the identification of viral pneumonia and tracking disease progression, CT plays a critical role in diagnosis and aiding clinical decision-making in the management of COVID-19 patients at the trust.
To facilitate access to scanning resources throughout the NHS, Siemens Healthineers ramped up CT production and worked closely with Lamboo Mobile Medical to source containers purpose-built for Somatom go CT systems.
“Previously championed by those involved in mobile lung screening initiatives, the Somatom go series allows ultra low dose imaging while the mobile workflow makes the CT container solution entirely self- contained, eliminating the need for a control room,” states Siemens.
Radiology operations manager Gail Griffiths said: “The COVID-19 pandemic presented several challenges in carrying out routine examinations and it was important to maintain the highest levels of infection prevention control at every step of the patient pathway. Following the peak of the pandemic, we anticipate workload to return to a state closer to normality and the addition of the CT container solution from Siemens Healthineers provides us with an extra scanning resource.
“We now have additional capacity for routine examinations, while continuing to examine COVID-19 patients, enabling us to safely care for our patients and staff, while tackling any workflow pressures as they arise.”
Picture: Teams from Siemens Healthineers worked together to ensure smooth delivery of the first CT container solution at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
Published on page 2 of the September 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.