Sunderland Royal Hospital, which is run by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, have become one of the first sites in Europe to welcome a specialist x-ray machine in their neonatal unit.
The new machine allows clinicians to take high-quality x-rays using digital radiography instead of computed radiography, delivering images back to a radiographer in seconds.
The new device can also be positioned in places a traditional x-ray machine can’t due to it’s less cumbersome design, ultimately meaning staff don’t need to use a motor to transport it around.
Radiology Operational Manager, Dee Sixsmith, said: “This machine makes it so much easier for our team to work, it’s much lighter and smaller to manoeuvre and we know it’ll help us as we work alongside our colleagues to care for our youngest patients.”
The machine was donated to the hospital following a fundraising camping by the Red Sky Foundation, launched by Sergio and Emma Petrucci.
Since its launch in 2016, the charity have raised more than £700,000, funding everything from life-saving equipment to training and education.
The donation was also supported by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s own charity, STS Charity, which aims to help make improvements for both staff and patients.
Consultant Neonatologist Imran Ahmed, the clinical lead for the unit, said: “We are very grateful to the Red Sky Foundation and [supplier] as we welcome this X-ray machine to our neonatal unit. It can be a worrying time for families when their baby is in need our care and the start of treatment is very important as we do everything we can to help our patients thrive.
“We’re pleased to become one of the first in the Europe to have this equipment. Seeing it in action is fantastic and we know it will help us for many years to come.”
