Brims were successfully appointed by Alliance Medical Leasing Limited in December 2021 to deliver the construction of a new building to house an integrated diagnostic centre in the grounds of South Tyneside Hospital.
The Diagnostic Centre is a single-story building split into 4 quadrants. One for PET-CT Scanning functions. A PET-CT scan uses a mildly radioactive drug to show up areas of the body where cells are more active than normal and supports earlier cancer diagnosis. This Quadrant also partially contains the entrance lobby, main waiting area and public toilets. A second quadrant is for MRI Scanning functionality, a third for CT Scanning and the fourth remains a shell for future MRI fitout.
Equipped with the latest technology, the new diagnostic centre is fully integrated to the Trust’s digital patient record systems. This allows consultants to view images in multiple locations, including their own homes.
The Integrated Diagnostic Centre also features a ‘docking’ station for mobile scanners that may be needed in future to cope with the ever-rising demand.
The investment has been made possible thanks to partnership working with Alliance Medical who have provided mobile diagnostic vans to South Tyneside Hospital for over ten years and already provide PET-CT scanning across the entire NHS.
As the NHS continues to tackle the major backlog of patients now waiting for treatment, South Tyneside’s new Integrated Diagnostic Centre ensures that patients can access a range of scans and experience their care from the new purpose-built, permanent facility.