A giant magnet has been wheeled into place as part of a £1.6million investment in a new MRI scanner at Grantham and District Hospital.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust received almost £1million of funding from NHSE/I to replace the previous scanner at the hospital as it was 15 years old.

Additional upgrades and building costs have been funded by the Trust and it is hoped patients will be able to use the new state-of-the-art scanner as early as next month.

The MRI suite is located within the green site of the hospital. Those requiring a scan will need to be swabbed for COVID-19 and self-isolate prior to their appointment to make sure the site remains COVID-free and able to carry out cancer and medically urgent treatments and surgeries.

The machine will provide much more detailed and faster scans. It will also help to improve cancer treatment as patients can be scanned earlier, leading to a quicker diagnosis and being able to start treatment sooner.

The Philips Ambition 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner is also wider than the previous scanner and is designed to help reduce claustrophobia. As well as having extra space, the scanner comes with a patient experience package that is designed to alleviate anxiety.

Chris Bilton, ULHT's MRI Service Lead, said: "Seeing the magnet being wheeled into place was a fantastic and welcomed sight. A lot of the building work has already taken place, which means we should be able to start using it as early as next month."

Chief Operating Officer, Simon Evans, said: "This scanner is going to provide us with much more detailed scans and a better experience for our patients from across the county."