X-rays can be a daunting experience for patients, especially children, and to help reduce ‘scanxiety’ – the increased level of anxiety patients may feel before, during, and after a scan – Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton has recently partnered with Canon Medical Systems UK ‘to reimagine the whole X-ray experience’.
This included ‘transforming’ the hospital’s fluoroscopy suite into what Canon Medical dubs ‘a welcoming, comfortable, and even fun place for children’, while delivering the most advanced diagnostic imaging service via the new Ultimax-i X-ray system.
Operated by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, and located within the grounds of Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital serves the local population, and is also a tertiary referral centre for children across the south-east. To meet high demand, the hospital provides a 24-hour, year-round, fluoroscopy service for young people ranging from new-borns through to 17-year-olds requiring specialist diagnostic scans.
The hospital selected Canon Medical to create what the supplier says is ‘a visually alluring scanning environment’ to house the new Ultimax-i X-ray system. To appeal to children – many of whom have additional needs – the renovation included a floor-to-ceiling ‘under-the-sea’ theme featuring sea creatures and a submarine, LED mood lighting to create a calming atmosphere, and a ceiling-mounted interactive projector featuring 50 different games and challenges for children to enjoy pre- and post-scan.
Offering what Canon Medical describes as ‘diagnostic versatility’, the Ultimax-i enables Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital to meet growing demand by enabling clinicians to see a broader age range of patients with a variety of conditions. The company explained: “Firstly, by optimising workflow space, it allows for more complex scans and procedures to take place without additional reconfiguration of floor space. Secondly, an innovative multidirectional C-arm and adjustable tilting table give clinicians at superior ergonomic access to the patient’s anatomy. Meanwhile, light-beam diaphragm functionality ensures greater precision for centring and collimation.”
Canon Medical explains that by offering clinicians a more complete and accurate patient view, the Ultimax-i reduces the need for patient movement and multiple images to be taken during scans, improving overall operator workflow and efficiency, and ensuring patient comfort and safety. Then company said: “The smoother the scanning process, the better the child’s experience, helping to reduce fear and anxiety during the scan.”
Another feature of Ultimax-i is DoseRite – a comprehensive dose management suite of technology to minimise patient X-ray exposure. Clinicians are empowered with three variable dose modes to choose from, ensuring precise control over radiation exposure. Canon Medical said: “Patients experience a notable reduction in dose exposure, thanks to fewer repeat views required, enhancing safety and comfort throughout the imaging process. This is particularly important when scanning children, many of whom are regular visitors requiring multiple scans.”
The Fluoroscopy Suite refurbishment was made possible by funding from My University Hospitals Sussex – the dedicated charity for NHS hospitals in Sussex, which raises funds for treatment, care, and research which go over and above core NHS funding.
Kyriakos Iliadis, Lead consultant paediatric radiologist, MD, MSc, at University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust, said: “The feedback has been immensely positive from everyone who has encountered the new system and the new fluoroscopy suite – from radiographers to consultants to patients. The combination of the new X-ray system in its under-the-sea setting provides the very best experience we could hope for. Often, the children are having so much fun, they do not want to leave.”
