Steve Harmison opens new unit at Wansbeck hospital

Posted by The Journal on Jan 6, 09 11:58 AM in News

England fast-bowler Steve Harmison went back home yesterday as he opened the new state-of-the-art MRI unit at Wansbeck General Hospital.

The Ashington-born cricketer, part of Durham's County Championship winning side last year, unveiled the facility which will be able to scan up to 600 patients a week.

Steve Harmison with radiologist Lisa Cox at the new MRI unit at Wansbeck Hospital

Harmison, back from India preparing for England's tour of the West Indies ahead of this summer's much anticipated Ashes showdown against Australia, said he was honoured to unveil the new facility so close to his childhood home.

He said: "The new service will greatly benefit residents' lives and mean shorter waiting times for an examination. It also gives them a greater choice of where to have their scan."

The unit, which is the first of its model to be installed in the UK, will further reduce waiting times and provide comprehensive diagnostic examinations for an extra 6,000 patients per year.

It uses a special type of scan to produce detailed images of soft body tissue such as muscle and ligaments.

Care home manager Christine Walker, 53, of North Shields, was the first person at the hospital to undergo a scan to pinpoint cartilage damage in her knee.

The grandmother-of-three, married to William, 56, will undergo an operation to repair the damage next month. She said: "I will be able to reassure a lot of residents I work with now and tell them that it's not as frightening as it looks.

"The staff are really helpful and it wasn't a frightening experience at all, everyone calms you down and they make you feel relaxed.

"The whole process has been brilliant. People say you generally have to wait ages for an appointment but I didn't find that at all. It's been really good."

The MRI scanner will be able to scan up to 600 patients a week providing a comprehensive range of examinations from neurology, cardiology, musculoskeletal to oncology.

The unit will also do staging scans for cancer and stroke imaging in the brain. New developments mean MRI scans can be used to help in the early detection of heart disease, cancers and neurological conditions without the need for surgery.

Rosemary Stephenson, executive director for clinical support and cancer services with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It is a privilege to have a local lad such as Steve Harmison to open our new MRI unit.

"It was always our plan to build a permanent unit and this demonstrates that we have delivered on our promise."

Watch interview with Steve Harmison at Wansbeck General.

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