£1.4 million research funding for Harrogate NHS Trust which is a leader in Imaging AI technology
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) has received £1.4 million for an additional MRI scanner to support groundbreaking research to boost patient care.
Harrogate was one of only 36 NHS organisations in England to receive funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) following a recent call for bids to improve access to research studies in smaller hospitals in England.
The new state-of-the-art scanner will be used for a wide range of research opportunities, but will have a particular focus on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to aid the diagnosis of a number conditions.
When it is not being used for research studies, the new MRI scanner will also be used for clinical use.
Dr Jacqueline Andrews, Medical Director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, and Executive Lead for Research and Innovation welcomed the funding decision and said: “Many congratulations to the clinical teams who successfully bid for a very significant sum of funding to purchase an additional MRI scanner at HDFT for research purposes.
“As a Trust we are committed to improving our research and innovation infrastructure to ensure that our patients and community in the Harrogate district have the same level of access to clinical trials of leading edge therapies and technologies as patients who may live nearer to a large teaching hospital."
HDFT is leading the way in Imaging AI and has already introduced AI fracture detection software to help speed up the time it takes to diagnose a bone fracture.
As well as the new MRI scanner, Harrogate has also invested in a dedicated Clinical Research Facility and a new Innovation Hub at HDFT, and have already seen the benefits with a growth in the number of patients being offered and taking part in research and innovation studies.
The £1.4m investment will help level up access in Harrogate and across the region for patients to take advantage of research and innovation opportunities.
Professor Alison Layton, Director of Research and Innovation at HDFT said: “This is a huge achievement by the clinical teams and a very exciting initiative for our Trust.”