University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on 1st April 2018. UHB includes Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Solihull Hospital and Community Services, Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Chest Clinic.
Due to historical differences in data collection/reporting across UHB and the former Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust some responses have been provided by hospital site.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information:
1. How many MRI scans were aborted for reasons related to the patient being too large or heavy to use the scanner for each of the last three financial years (April 1 2015 – March 31 2016, April 1 2016 – March 31 2017, April 1 2017 – March 31 2018) and between April 2018 and the current date if recorded.
We do not hold this information.
2. Has your you trust purchased extra-large scanners (if information held)? (The hole size of standard scanner measures 68cm (26in) and some hospitals put a 25-stone (158kg) limit on patients using them.)
We have one wide bore scanner – hole size 70cm with a max weight of 250kg. Most patients are too wide rather than weight limit.
To be of assistance, it was bought predominantly for claustrophobic patients.
3. How much money was spent purchasing these extra-large scanners (if information held)?
£616,000 + VAT
Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information:
1. How many MRI scans were aborted for reasons related to the patient being too large or heavy to use the scanner for each of the last three financial years (April 1 2015 – March 31 2016, April 1 2016 – March 31 2017, April 1 2017 – March 31 2018) and between April 2018 and the current date if recorded.
We do not hold this information.
2. Has your you trust purchased extra-large scanners (if information held)? (The hole size of standard scanner measures 68cm (26in) and some hospitals put a 25-stone (158kg) limit on patients using them.)
We have 3 Philips Ingenia 1.5T Wide Bore Scanners 70cm bore. There is a 250kg weight limit but other factors (body dimensions, MRI procedural restrictions, patient condition, etc.) can significantly limit the safe patient weight that can be scanned.
3. How much money was spent purchasing these extra-large scanners (if information held)?
£3 million
