Rakhee in one of the updated ultrasound rooms (credit:BHRUT)
The upgrade, due to be completed shortly, will mean up to 150 additional scans can be carried out each week at the Goodmayes premises.
In the department, the number of ultrasound rooms will go from six to eight, with four of the existing rooms refreshed.
It’s hoped waiting times for patients, which have been affected by the pandemic, will be reduced with the expansion allowing sonographers to complete between 100 to 150 additional ultrasound scans each week.
General ultrasound lead at King George Hospital, Rakhee Jagatia said: “Having additional ultrasound rooms and machines will allow us to increase capacity and improve patient experience.
“As the new machines are of a higher spec, we will be able to scan patients more quickly and efficiently.
“This will make a huge difference to our patients in reducing their wait times.”
An additional CT scanner has been added in the Radiology department, going from one to two.
The two MRI machines are also being replaced with improved, state-of-the-art machines which are 35 per cent faster than the hospital’s existing versions.
The first is already in situ and soft-testing with patients is already taking place.
MRI lead radiographer, Ronnie Hernandez said: “As well as being faster than our existing machines, this new one allows us to do more specialist scans, such as checking iron levels on the liver and heart and more specific prostate scanning.”
The second MRI scanner will go live in January next year.
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Tags: Ilford, Goodmayes, King George Hospital