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Gloucestershire community raises £600k for new hospital scanner

Gloucester Hospitals Charity Hospital staff with a than you sign standing in front of the scannerGloucester Hospitals Charity
Staff at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital thank the community for the new CT Gamma Scanner

Members of the public have helped raise £600,000 for a new scanner for Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

The CT Gamma Scanner will aid the treatment of babies, people with cancer and patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity said they expect it will help around 4,000 people every year.

Associate director Richard Smith said the scanner will help diagnose patients at the "earliest opportunity."

Gloucester Hospitals Charity A man and a woman holding a scanner appeal signGloucester Hospitals Charity
Karen Organ from Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity with Mark Constance from Balcarras School

"This particular scanner can give us a level of detail which you wouldn't get with an ordinary CT scan," said Mr Smith.

"It can really make a level of difference in giving that diagnosis which we wouldn't find otherwise."

This new imaging equipment allows patients to have two specialist scans at the same time; a CT scan and a gamma scan from within the body, helping to diagnose conditions which otherwise cannot be found.

Alfred Wango Amanda Walker at the top of Mount KilimanjaroAlfred Wango
Amanda Walker raised more than £1,200 by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Members of the community contributed to the appeal through sponsored runs, bake sales and business events, while others have left a gift in their will.

Ian Henderson, from Gloucester, said he knows just how important these scans can be after doctors used them to find out if his mouth cancer had spread.

The 62-year-old said this new equipment was great news for patients.

"Being told I had cancer was very worrying, and waiting to find out whether it had spread was a scary time," said Mr Henderson.

picture credit is Inapickle Crafts People waking in a parkpicture credit is Inapickle Crafts
Participants in the charity's 2022 Walk for Wards at the Bathurst Estate in Cirencester where some of the money went to the Scanner Appeal

"I was lucky, and I was told my cancer had not spread, but others may not be as fortunate," he continued.

"It is fantastic to think this new scanner could make a difference to so many people so they can put their mind at rest or are able to begin their treatment quicker."

Gloucester Hospitals Charity Dr Janelle Reyes-Goddard standing in front of the scanner with a thank you signGloucester Hospitals Charity
Dr Janelle said the new scanner will offer faster and more comfortable experience for patients

Dr Janelle Reyes-Goddard, head of nuclear medicine at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said her team are grateful for all of the support.

"It's really exciting because the staff get a lot of satisfaction in their job, making sure that the patients get the best experience that they can.

"The patients also have the best experience because they get to have their nuclear medicine scan and their CT scan done at one time."

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