Cossham Hospital and the Yate West Gate Centre, both part of NHS South Gloucestershire, have installed Ysio wi-D Digital Radiography (DR) systems from Siemens Healthcare. Both organisations are part of initiatives aimed at delivering a new range of healthcare services to patients at a local level.
Siemens said that the easy-to-use, flexible DR system proves ideal for performing fast, accurate examinations on patients in the brand new Yate West Gate Centre, situated in the Yate Shopping Centre. The Yate West Gate Centre brings together children, young people and family health services into a community setting.
In addition, the refurbishment of Cossham Hospital in Kingswood, Bristol, will enable the site to offer a wider range of healthcare services to the local community. The Ysio wi-D system is expected to join new ultrasound and CT scanning facilities and the number of patient visits is expected to almost double from more than 70,000 to nearly 140,000 when it opens in 2012.
The Ysio wi-D has been initially installed into a temporary facility and will be transferred in to the main hospital once the refurbishment is complete.
The Ysio wi-D features a 35cm x 43cm wireless, portable digital detector that can be used on the bucky table and stand, or removed completely to be placed underneath or next to the patient. The flexibility of the detector helps radiographers to easily acquire images from traditionally awkward positions such as patients in wheelchairs.
A simple user workstation controls the Ysio wi-D, enabling it to be moved into over 1000 different anatomical positions according to a set programme, thus reducing the manual strain on clinical staff.
Furthermore, movements of the tube and detector replicate each other to ensure that the tube is centred during detector adjustments. Even if a Radiographer chooses to move the tube manually, the new servo-assisted technology makes it light, flexible and easy to manoeuvre.
Lesley Green, superintendent radiographer at Cossham Hospital, said: “The Ysio wi-D is great system. We really enjoy using it and the images are far superior to our previous equipment. It is also very user friendly and it didn’t take long at all to get to grips with the how to operate the system. Siemens also provided some great training that meant we are able to hit the ground running.”
Darren Parker, regional sales manager at Siemens Healthcare, said: “Installing the DR X-ray systems at these sites means that a brand new range of services is being offered to patients in the local community. The addition of a flexible wireless detector means that a wider range of patients can be examined. This has a positive impact on the amount of patients receiving care.”