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2 June 2010

Minister for Public Health & Sport officially opens PET/CT scanner

Minister for Public Health & Sport Shona Robison officially opened the £1.7 million state-of-the-art PET/CT scanner at the Clinical Research Centre at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital today (Wednesday, 2 June).

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear medicine imaging procedure that uses a form of radioactive glucose to identify abnormalities within the body. The 128-slice Computerised Tomography (CT) scanner incorporated into the system will allow any abnormalities identified to be accurately located in the body's organs.

The PET/CT scanner was installed as a result of funding from the Scottish Government as announced by Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon at the official opening of the Clinical Research Centre in July 2008.

Several hundred patients a year are expected to benefit from the installation of the new Tayside scanner. Previously, Tayside patients suspected of having certain forms of cancer had to travel to other cities such as Aberdeen for imaging.

The scanner will function 50% of the time as an NHS service, with the remaining 50% of the time carrying out clinical research led by the University of Dundee. In addition to cancer, it can be used in research for patients with cardiovascular disease and diseases affecting the brain.

Minister for Public Health & Sport Shona Robison said, 'I am delighted to be formally opening this facility.

'The scanner means that patients suspected of having certain forms of cancer in Tayside can receive imaging locally rather than having to travel to other areas.

'The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that, for people who need it, a scan is available at the earliest opportunity.

'We are determined to put the needs of patients at the centre of our health service - improving our patients’ experience of care, delivering care as locally as possible and improving services.'

Research activity is being focused around the facilities based within the purpose-built Clinical Research Centre at Ninewells Hospital, as part of the Tayside Academic Health Sciences Centre (TAHSC) Clinical Imaging Centre. This is a joint initiative by NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee to draw together the clinical research imaging capability across Tayside.

NHS Tayside Chairman Mr Sandy Watson said, 'This is yet another example of the close working relationship between NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee and its Medical School, improving services for patients, with a piece of 21st century equipment which will be used for a combination of diagnosis, treatment and research.'

Professor John Connell, Dean of the School of Medicine and Director of TAHSC, said, 'This joint development between the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside is an excellent example of the benefit to clinical care and research that come from our close co-operation.

'PET/CT imaging is a vital tool that will support our clinical research efforts and complements our other state-of-the-art facilities.

'The new scanner forms a very important part of the research imaging capability of the Tayside Academic Health Sciences Centre; it places researchers in Dundee in a strong position to compete internationally, and adds significantly to the Scottish capacity to carry out high quality research using this type of methodology.

'I am sure that the introduction of this new facility will prove of major value in the direct care of patients and will help lead to new discoveries that will advance their treatment in the future.'

Notes to editors:

There will be the opportunity to interview the Minister for Public Health & Sport, as well as the lead representatives of TAHSC.

The Scottish Academic Health Sciences Collaboration (SAHSC) was launched in June 2009 and comprises four nodes based around NHS and University collaborations in Tayside, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. SAHSC is supported by funding from the Chief Scientist Office, with the intention of increasing research activity across the NHS and academia.

The collaborative venture between NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee - Tayside Academic Health Sciences Centre (TAHSC) - was launched as a boost for clinical research activity. Joint facilities that support this activity include:

  • the Tayside Clinical Research Centre, offering first-class facilities for the conduct of patient-based research and clinical trials
  • the Clinical Imaging Centre, a custom-designed space which houses advanced MRI and PET/CT scanners with a unique adjoining interventional suite
  • the Tayside Clinical Trials Unit, co-ordinating all clinical trials expertise in Tayside
  • Laboratories and biorepositories such as the Tayside Tissue Bank which allow patient derived samples to be used (with permission) to advance medical research
  • Dundee Epidemiolgy and Biostatistics Unit and the Health Informatics Centre, offering internationally renowned expertise in eHealth solutions and analysis of large patient databases.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902