Ontario Health (West) has recently endorsed the Grey Bruce Health Services proposal to purchase and install a CT scanner for the Southampton Hospital.

In a May 19 media release from Grey Bruce Health Services, Ontario Health confirmed that the proposal “is well aligned with both Ministry and Ontario Health priorities and sufficiently meets all identified requirements.” Ontario Health’s endorsement is required for the Ministry of Health to approve GBHS’s plan to install the CT. There are several stages to the approval process, and GBHS has submitted a combined Stage 1 and 2 to the Ministry.

The corporation’s only scanner is located at the Owen Sound Regional Hospital, where each year 20 percent of the 13,000 CT scans are provided to patients from Saugeen Shores and surrounding communities.

“We are very pleased to have the support of Ontario Health as this proposal moves forward,” said Gary Sims, GBHS President and CEO. “A new scanner in Southampton will increase local access for patients, reduce costs associated with ambulance transfers to our Owen Sound Hospital, and give patients faster access to test results.”

CT scans are becoming a diagnostic tool of choice for many physicians due to the technology’s capabilities in capturing clear, detailed images. A new CT will also enable GBHS to provide timely access to CTs for the growing number of oncology patients requiring this type of imaging.

A renovation and 10,000 square foot addition were completed at the Southampton Hospital in 2019.

See: Southampton Hospital celebrates project completion

Thanks to these upgrades, the hospital has the space to accommodate a CT scanner within its current Medical Imaging Department. Some renovations will be needed to install the scanner, and to meet safety and infection control requirements.

The Owen Sound Hospital CT runs 10 hours a day, five days a week for scheduled visits, and is available 24/7 for urgent cases. The addition of a CT in Southampton will help GBHS better manage the volume of CT patients and ensure continuity of service when the equipment in Owen Sound is down for maintenance.

See: GBHS looking to put a CT scanner in the Southampton Hospital