A NEW magnetic resonance imaging scanner is now up and running at the Friarage Hospital – thanks to the phenomenal support of the people of North Yorkshire.

The radiology team have scanned their first patients on the diagnostic equipment which, when fully operational, will treat 22 patients a day, seven days a week.

The opening is a milestone for South Tees Hospitals Charity which launched a fundraising campaign to bring a scanner to the Northallerton hospital and has, to date, raised more than £1.4m - including £500,000 pledged by the Friends of the Friarage.

The scanner, housed on the ground floor of the hospital, will be used to detect a wide range of conditions in almost any part of the body.

Trust chief executive Siobhan McArdle thanked both South Tees Hospitals Charity and the Friends of the Friarage for their “remarkable” fundraising efforts and support.

“The new MRI scanner, along with other planned service developments such as The Sir Robert Ogden Cancer Centre, demonstrates our long-term commitment to delivering clinically safe and sustainable services to the people of Hambleton, Richmondshire, Whitby and the surrounding area from our Friarage site.”

South Tees’ head of fundraising Paul Watkins said the success of the campaign was down to the “overwhelming” support and passion of the local community.

As well as providing a local diagnostic service for local residents, the scanner will reduce waiting times and enable conditions to be diagnosed more quickly with faster treatment planning.

For patients, it will mean less travelling to other hospitals for scans while for staff it will allow clinical specialties to work more closely together and develop services.

Chair of the Friends of the Friarage Dr Upendra Somasundram said: “This was an important cause we were delighted to get behind. The scanner will be a fantastic additional resource for the medical teams and provide a much needed local service to the local population.”

The hospital’s radiology manager, Fiona Harker, said her team were delighted to be able to provide the diagnostic service at the hospital.

“We have been looking forward to this important development for local people for many years,” she added.

“This is a great boost to the radiology service and the Friarage Hospital and will reduce the travel requirements for lots of local patients requiring an MRI scan.”