Health board secures new MRI scanner for £3.5m

The long-awaited new MRI scanner has been secured – at an estimated cost of £3.5m.

NHS Shetland announced today (Monday) that the tendering exercise for the new equipment had successfully completed.

Philips Medical Systems has been awarded the contract, which includes the new scanner and the bespoke building to host it.

It marks a major progression in the project, which was first launched with a fundraising appeal in 2018.

The Shetland community rallied to the call, raising more than £1.5m in just two years.

More recently, however, the scheme has suffered a number of delays, due to procurement challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

The health board now estimates the service will be up and running by mid-2024, once work is completed to accommodate it at the Gilbert Bain Hospital. 

Endowment committee chairman Lincoln Carrol has thanked the people of Shetland for their support and fundraising to make the new scanner a reality.

“The funding raised by the community and through significant individual donations will be used to purchase the MRI scanner which we expect to be in operation in Shetland from mid-2024,” he said. 

“As the chairman of the endowment committee, it is a pleasure to finally be able to gift the appeal funding to NHS Shetland to start the procurement of the MRI scanner.”

With the costs now projected to come in considerably over budget – due to the need for a bespoke building to accommodate the scanner and the global costs of materials – extra funding has had to be secured.

As well as the £1.9m raised locally so far, the health board says it has been promised a further £1.6m in financial support. 

Once in use, the scanner is hoped to significantly reduce the number of patient journeys to the mainland.

Director of nursing and acute services Kathleen Carolan said the permanent scanner would make “such a difference to patient care”.

“We have already started work to prepare the hospital site for the new MRI scanner to be installed, and our clinical and technical teams are working with Philips Medical Systems to manage the project so that we have an MRI scanning service up and running as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish government has funded a visiting MRI service which will continue to be used in Shetland until the permanent device arrives next year. 

Mrs Carolan said NHS Shetland staff were helping to deliver the visiting service to gain the necessary skills ahead of the permanent scanner’s arrival.

“This is another amazing example of the generosity of our community in Shetland and support for local health and care,” she added.