Bolton and Siemens sign radiology deal

Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has announced that it has signed a multi-million pound managed equipment service agreement with Siemens Healthcare.

The 15-year contract will see the trust receive the latest radiology equipment alongside maintenance of its existing systems and user training.

Under the deal, five digital radiography x-ray rooms, three mobile x-ray systems, a fluoroscopy suite and six ultrasound devices will be upgraded or replaced.

All x-ray equipment will eventually be consolidated into a single department next to A&E, to improve workflow across the trust.

Catherine Walsh, radiology business manager at Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “New imaging equipment will make a massive difference to the services we provide to patients and in boosting the radiology team’s morale.

"We’ve been struggling for years with old devices that frequently broke down and impacted on our ability to meet targets.”

The contract ring fences investment for the future so that equipment is replaced as soon as it reaches the end of its recommended life. Provisions have also been built into the contract to adjust to the trust’s changing needs.

Gary Raphael, financial director at the trust, said: “In the past, equipment procurement was all about what we could afford from capital money and over time investment in radiological assets did not keep pace with changing needs and technology.

“The MES contract planning has forced us to focus on what is an acceptable level of Capex and it revealed that we clearly were not committing enough to equipment refreshment in the past.

"Now we have expert help to guide us in the right direction. Working in partnership with Siemens gives us certainty of quality, risk management and a dedicated focus on radiology equipment replacement.”

Siemens already has 11 MES long term partnerships in the UK. The company recently announced a similar £109m (€132m) deal with ministry of health for the Spanish region of Murcia.

The deal will provide two hospitals with more than 100 imaging systems, including computed tomography scanners, mammography systems, and ultrasound systems.

Link: Siemens Healthcare