Victorian-First Scanner Improving Care At Sunshine Hospital

The Allan Labor Government is making it easier and quicker for cancer and cardiac patients to access the care they need – with a new Victorian-first scanner arriving at Western Health’s Sunshine Hospital.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas today announced the groundbreaking new single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT-CT) scanner is helping specialists deliver faster, more detailed results.

The scanner provides functional information, showing radiologists how blood flows to tissue and organs and with the use of radioactive tracers, can provide scans of different parts of the body – helping to identify blood clots, heart attacks or the spread of cancer to the bones.

Combining two different types of scans, the SPECT-CT scanner can provide precise information about how different body parts are working and more clearly identify problems to help guide treatment and improve patient outcomes. 

For Diggers Rest local and breast cancer survivor Jean, the machine has been a game changer. Requiring a full-body bone scan every three months, the new machine has helped streamline her care, with her total time spent in the scanner almost halved – being reduced from 50 minutes to less than 30 minutes.

Factoring in her 40-minute round trip to Sunshine Hospital, done at least four times a year, the new scanner gives Jean time back with her family. 

Shorter scanning periods also means the new machine will be available to more cardiac and cancer patients overall, helping specialists at Sunshine Hospital treat more patients sooner.

Western Health’s world-class nuclear medicine technologists also go the extra mile to create a relaxing environment for patients, with nature-scene decals on the walls and ceilings, and softer lighting part of the scanner’s benefits. 

The Labor Government has also recently delivered more than $2 million in grants to Sunshine Hospital to replace theatre equipment, undertake minor refurbishment works and to update the Adult Mental Health Rehab unit.

Quote attributable to Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas

“This scanner is the first of its kind in Victoria and just another example of how we are ensuring our health system can offer the very best in care to patients, sooner.”

Quote attributable to Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman

“With this groundbreaking new scanner at Sunshine Hospital, patients in Melbourne’s west like Jean, are able to access more timely and efficient care closer to home.”

Quote attributable to Sunshine Hospital patient Jean

“It’s always a pleasure to be at Sunshine Hospital – the staff there are wonderfully kind, and I look forward to seeing them – but not having to spend so much time in the scanner is much more convenient. I’ve had one scan in the brand-new scanner so far, and I felt more comfortable. When I got off, I thought ‘gee, that was quick.”