Hi-tech camera slashes hospital waiting times

May 10 2008 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

WAITING times at a Merseyside Hospital have been cut from 18 months to three weeks for some heart disease patients, thanks to a piece of state-of-the-art technology.

Whiston Hospital has invested in a gamma camera at the radiology department, which means patients are waiting an average of three weeks for scans and a fortnight to receive their results.

Previously, patients in the area faced the inconvenience of travelling to Manchester or into Liverpool city centre to have their scans, as well as waiting lists of up to 18 months.

The procedure – known as an isotope scan, which enables clinical staff to see the blood supply to a patient’s heart – has proved to be such a success that staff from other hospitals are visiting Whiston Hospital to observe the Radiology team in action.

The Royal Liverpool Hospital also performs the procedure and in emergencies it has given staff the opportunity to perform the scan immediately. The maximum wait at the Royal is currently eight weeks.

Grandfather Richard Parry, 65, from St Helens had the scan at Whiston. He said: “The treatment I received was absolutely fantastic. I was seen so quickly and only had to travel a short distance from home.

“I am now waiting for a quadruple heart bypass but since Christmas things have moved really fast thanks to this procedure.

“I was referred to the hospital by my doctor, Dr Eftekhari, and within weeks I had the scan.

“The staff at Whiston were so friendly and talked me through everything so I was not worried, they really put me at ease.

“Being able to have the scan so close to home is great and I am so glad my doctor recommended it. Normally I would have had to go to Manchester and when you are ill, the last thing you want to do is travel for treatment so I was very happy to be seen locally.

“I would have been waiting a long time if it was not for this equipment, it is marvellous and my family are so pleased as well.”

Ann Marr, chief executive of Whiston Hospital, added: “The reduction in waiting times from an average of 18 months at other hospitals to just three weeks here at Whiston is great news for our patients.

“They are now being seen quickly at their local hospital without the inconvenience and disruption of travelling around the region.”

lizawilliams