Chris Brandrick

Lincoln County Hospital is celebrating the installation of a new state-of-the-art CT scanner, bringing new healthcare technology to the city.

The scanner, a Toshiba Aquilion CX, cost £600,000 and was put into use for the first time earlier last week, transforming the way in which Lincoln patients are cared for.

CT scanners create detailed images of the inside of the body, thanks to the computing power and X-ray technology found within.

The results can then diagnose and monitor various health issues, including bone disease and cancer.

The Toshiba machine will provide the hospital with a way to provide more efficient patient diagnoses, says Superintendent Radiographer Richard Thomas:

“It is more comfortable and should be more reliable than the existing scanner. It provides the best possible quality of scans that we can get.

“We will have the ability to scan areas hitherto not possible on our old system, including carrying out virtual colonography, cardiac and brain perfusion scanning,”

Despite the introduction of the new CT scanner, the hospital’s old machine will still be used — hopefully ensuring that waiting times are kept low.

Source: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust | Photo: Toshiba

Once again we take a quick look over a handful of stories from the past week that didn’t quite make our front page:

Free admission to Lincoln Castle at upcoming heritage day

• Lincoln Castle will be opening its doors for free at an upcoming heritage day. The 11th century castle, which usually carries an entry fee of up to £5, will be free to enter on both  September 11 and 12. The castle will be open from 10am to 5pm, and those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Pride Awards to celebrate City Of Lincoln Council staff achievements

• The Pride awards are designed to allow residents the opportunity to have their say about good experiences with City of Lincoln Council staff. You can nominate any employee or team for an award, with the winners receiving recognition for their services along with some prizes. The nomination process is open now, and runs until the end of October. Winners will be announced at a November 29 event.

Two Theatre Royal shows canceled

• Performances from singer-songwriter Mim Grey and radio chef Nigel Brown at the city’s Theatre Royal have been canceled. The theatre said the cancellations are due to unforeseen circumstances. Mim Grey was due to perform on September 2, with Nigel Brown due to perform the next night on September 3. All ticket holders for the events have been refunded.

Lincoln residents to compete in Mr & Miss England contest

• Kyle Rolfe and Victoria Smith will both be competing for the crown of the best-looking man and woman in the UK. The pair won the regional contests, being declared Mr & Miss Lincolnshire. The two will now take on country-wide competition. Mr. Lincolnshire, Kyle Rolfe, faces 11 other men, and Miss Lincolnshire, Victoria Smith, will take on 57 other finalists.