Conversion enables leading healthcare facility to go digital and improve image management and retrieval
Morstel, Belgium/Brentford, UK - 15 October 2009 - 14.00 CET
Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that it has successfully concluded an extensive programme to install its IMPAX Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) and Computed Radiography (CR) systems within ten hospitals that are part of the Spire Healthcare Group in the United Kingdom.
Spire Healthcare is the UK's second largest private hospital provider. Following a number of recent acquisitions, the Group's network now numbers 36 facilities and covers the entire UK.
The conversion to CR has enabled the sites to move away from wet chemistry and on to digital imaging. The installation of Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX has made image storage and retrieval far easier and has also enabled consultant radiologists working with Spire Healthcare to use 3D reconstruction and work with orthopaedic templating software for the very first time.
In order to ensure Spire Healthcare's staff derived the maximum benefit from the new systems as rapidly as possible, Agfa HealthCare has trained the independent hospital group's systems administrators. They were then able to 'cascade' the training across all of the recipient sites.
According to Marc O'Brien, Spire Healthcare's Information Management & Technology (IM&T) Director, "Agfa HealthCare responded very well to the challenge of rolling out so many systems. Staff at the ten sites have found the new systems to be very easy to use and we are already receiving very positive feedback from our clinical staff about the new functionality it has put at their fingertips".
Hans Vandewyngaerde, Vice President Europe at Agfa HealthCare said,"It is great to hear that the successful installation of our solutions has enabled the consultant radiologists at these Spire Healthcare sites to harness the latest imaging technology, and to know that they are now fully prepared to make active use of all the benefits a digital environment offers. The completion of this fully integrated Imaging and IT solutions project marks yet another successful roll-out in Europe for Agfa HealthCare."
