The Lakes District Health Board is going to have a second CT scanner, which will be located at Taupō Hospital.
Demand for CT scans has increased steadily in the last five years, as predicted, and the siting of the second CT scanner at Taupō Hospital will provide a valuable diagnosticresource to the southern part of the Lakes DHB.
Radiology department service manager Roger Lysaght said CT examinations can help health professionals in rural areas in making clinical decisions, by providing access to radiological clinical reports.
Taupō Hospital now had an excellent, stable medical workforce of rural health specialists supported by visiting medical teams from Rotorua Hospital, he said.
"Placement of a CT scanner in Taupō will improve access to high technology imaging to our vulnerable Maori and rural populations.
"Currently many of these people are unable to or simply can not make the long journey to Rotorua. A CT scanner in Taupō Hospital will support equity of outcomes for Māori and rural populations."
A second CT scanner will also ensure the majority of residents in the southern Lakes communities can have their CTs done at Taupō hospital rather than needing to go through to Rotorua.
This will also reduce the demand on the scanner at Rotorua Hospital.
Chief executive Nick Saville-Wood said work was proceeding to order and make arrangements to install the Taupō scanner in time for a start up in September.
The Board expressed strong support for the proposal at its February meeting and gave approval to management to progress with the initiative which has a capital cost of about $1.4 million.
Together with new staff being recruited at Taupō, the Rotorua radiology team will provide the support to ensure that the scanner is made operational as soon as it is commissioned.
Saville-Wood said the DHB's clinical services were provided across the two hospitals – in line with its principle of "one service, two sites", and once the second scanner is in place some patients in Rotorua needing a CT scan may elect to go to Taupō to have their scan as wait times are likely to be shorter than being experienced in Rotorua.
