A GIANT magnet has become the first piece of equipment to be installed in the new hospital at Bishop Auckland.

The £750,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, weighing 19 tonnes, will be mainly used for diagnosing neurological and orthopaedic problems.

The specialised equipment was hoisted by crane into a purpose-built centre in the new building.

Although the hospital will not open to treat patients until next April, contractors had to install the equipment early because of its size and weight. They carefully manoeuvred it into position through a gap in the external wall, which had been left specifically by contractors Shepherd Construction.

With the equipment now safely installed, work will continue to complete the wall and the rest of the MRI centre.

Kevin Oxley, head of estates at South Durham Health Care NHS Trust, said: "It was wonderful to watch the first piece of equipment being successfully installed in the new hospital.

"This is part of a comprehensive programme of work, which will continue over the next six months, in preparation for moving into the new building."

The MRI service, which will be ready for operation when the hospital opens in April, is a joint venture between South Durham Health Care NHS Trust and Lodestone Patient Care.

It will replace the visiting service currently provided at the hospital.

MRI is an advanced diagnostic imaging technique in which detailed cross-sectional images of the body are produced without the potential risks associated with conventional x-rays. The new open- type scanner which has been installed at the hospital is less claustrophobic for patients and is the first of its kind in the UK.

Work on the £67m hospital redevelopment started in June 1999.

The first patients will move in at the beginning of next April, and all services will have transferred to the new hospital by the end of May.

Work will then continue to complete the refurbishment of the remaining hospital block, the demolition of the old wards and provide additional car parking spaces