PRI nuclear medicine unit to improve local services

A new multi-million pound nuclear medicine unit at Perth Royal Infirmary opened its doors to its first patient this week.

Sonia Hall, from Pitlochry, received a scan using the new gamma camera at the nuclear medicine imaging service, which captures and forms diagnostic images.

Her heart was scanned in a bid to assess her fitness to undergo a general anaesthetic for back surgery.

Dr Norman Kennedy, consultant physicist in nuclear medicine, said “This new purpose-built unit will mean that most patients from Perth and Kinross will no longer have to travel to Dundee for nuclear medicine studies.

“The state-of-the-art gamma camera at the heart of the unit incorporates a diagnostic CT which facilitates fusion of the nuclear medicine and CT images allowing any areas of increased activity to be accurately located.”