A new MRI scanner with music and lighting to calm patients has been unveiled at Lewisham Hospital.

The machine is part of a £2.2 million boost to radiology facilities at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust with better quality scans and new cardiac scans available.

News Shopper: Lewisham Hospital deputy radiographer Sarah-Jane Platt

The new facilities are also designed to make scans less stressful and patients can choose music to play during the scan in a more spacious area with greater privacy.

Pearl Morland, the first patient to try out the new scanner said: “It’s very comfortable and having the music to relax you is great.”

News Shopper: Pictured left to right: deputy radiographer Sarah-Jane Platt for MRI, first patient Pearl Morland to use scanner and Head of Imaging, Malcolm McNinch

Lewisham Hospital deputy radiographer Sarah-Jane Platt added: “The new MRI scanner improves on our old machine in every way.

“The most important improvement is that it allows us to scan for a bigger array of complaints, producing scans of a higher quality, which means that we can the best results for our patients.

“Our new facilities here will also make the scanning process less stressful for our patients. It is a spacious and calming environment which hopefully settles the nerves we can all have when we are receiving care.”