The new £34.6m MRI/Oncology Unit at RCHT co-locates imaging services (MRI, Ultrasound and X-Ray) on the basement (ground) level and provides a permanent home for Lowen Ward (Oncology) on the first floor. The second floor contains extensive plant rooms serving the building. These include 13 individual air-handling units, the majority serving the isolation rooms in Lowen Ward.
Lowen Ward now has 24 beds including a palliative care suite with its own dedicated courtyard garden and Iodine 131 suite. Additionally, an outpatient assessment and treatment unit is provided.
The design of the isolation rooms provides RCHT with the capability to safely isolate immuno-compromised patients, plus the flexibility for them to be adapted and used for the isolation of infectious patients. The design of the ventilation systems and air transfer paths were carefully considered and designed along with the appropriate levels of filtration to protect all patients.
The Trelawny Scanning Suite provides a cluster of three MRI suites, with two brand new 3T-enabled scanners. Co-locating the MRI with a new ultrasound imaging suite and existing CT scanners creates a new diagnostic imaging hub with further capability. The cutting-edge multi-sensory MRI suites provide patients with greater control of their environment. They can pre-select their preferred room ambience, alongside a film or programme visible from within the bore of the scanner, significantly increasing levels of comfort and patient choice. This innovative solution has contributed to decreased levels of abortive scans and reduced anaesthetic volition, driving new levels of service efficiency and imaging quality.
