A first-of-its-kind MRI scanner that aims to dramatically improve patient experience has launched at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridgeshire.

Funded by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), the new scanner employs a calming forest-designed vinyl wrap aimed at 'bringing the outside in.’

Bruno Carmo, MRI service manager at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said: “It has made a massive difference not just for the staff but for the patients too.

"Everybody who comes in to visit the department notices the environment immediately.

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"It’s different, it’s beautiful and it’s friendly. It just fills my soul.”

The innovative scanner, completed at the end of July, has reduced patient anxiety, improving the likelihood of successful scans and saving the hospital trust significant costs per patient.

Mr Carmo remarked the calming environment reduces instances of patients requiring a second scan due to anxiety, stating: “One of the big reasons for patients being unable to complete a scan is claustrophobia and anxiety and just the fact that we can see the impact of this nice calm environment already reduces the possibility of a patient having to be recalled for a second time.”

The scanner will increase diagnostic accuracy for conditions such as cancer and musculoskeletal disorders.

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Ilse Patterson, lead R&D MRI radiographer at Addenbrooke’s, said being able to see scan results on a first visit effectively allows diagnosis and treatment or surgery to happen sooner, therefore helping to save patients’ lives in some cases.

The refurbishment, executed by Surrey-based Grosvenor Interiors, included the entire MRIS department, creating a serene environment through nature imagery in the waiting area and changing rooms.

The facelift was celebrated by Cath Mills, president of the British Association of MR Radiographers (BAMRR), who said: “It’s great to see the amazing work at Addenbrooke’s that is helping to make their patients’ experience as positive as possible."