Work on MRI scanner building to start soon

MODULAR parts which will form the new MRI scanner building at the Gilbert Bain in Lerwick will be delivered to the hospital next week.

NHS Shetland said the sections will arrive on site on Monday and Tuesday.

These will then be lifted into position using a large crane over those two days, weather dependant.

NHS Shetland said the west end of the hospital car park will close from Sunday (11 February) until the lifting works are completed.

As the building modules are being delivered, there may be some minor delays to vehicles entering and exiting the car park and travelling down Cairnfield Road.

Emergency access for ambulances will be maintained throughout.

Parking restrictions will also be in place on the southern end of Cairnfield Road to allow safe movement of trucks up and down the road and access to the site.

NHS Shetland said it apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.

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The MRI scanner will be located in the grounds of the Gilbert Bain Hospital where the estates team was previously based.

It will be the first time a permanent MRI scanner has been based in Shetland, and it should reduce the number of trips patients have to make south for scans.

Last year it was announced that the estimated cost of providing an MRI scanner service in Shetland had risen to £3.5 million, but the local health board said it has been promised financial support to cover the gap.

Nearly £2 million has been contributed to the appeal fund through a successful community fundraising campaign.

The £3.5 million figure includes the MRI scanner, the bespoke building and operational running costs for the first year.

NHS Shetland previously said it expected the scanner to be operational later this year.

More than 600 patients from Shetland are said to travel south to have an MRI scan each year.

MRI scanners can diagnose cancer, strokes, heart conditions and many other conditions and having one in Lerwick would complement the existing CT scanner, which uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the body.