Hospitals hamstrung by ‘obsolete’ imaging equipment, potentially endangering patients
Nearly one-third of hospitals across England are using outdated imaging equipment, potentially putting patient lives at risk.
The Guardian recently published a scathing report about the “technically obsolete” state of radiology machines across the country’s public health system, known as the National Health Service. Up to 27% of organizations are using a CT scanner more than 10 years old, while 34% are running an MRI machine the same age.
“CT and MRI machines start to become technically obsolete at 10 years,” Julian Elford, MD, a consultant radiologist and medical director at the Royal College of Radiologists said to the Guardian.
The insights follow an NHS England report released last year recommending all imaging devices older than a decade be replaced. That included X-ray equipment from the 1970s and 1980s.
Elford noted outdated machines are not the only problem plaguing the specialty.
“We also need significant investment in workforce,” Elford said to the news outlet. “The NHS is currently short of nearly 2,000 radiologists. Only by looking at the problem holistically can we bring about real improvement to patient outcomes and cut waiting times.”
Read the full report below.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.