Hundreds of exams canceled as heat wave sidelines MRI scanners
The United Kingdom heat wave is putting pressure on an already strained healthcare system, as imaging equipment in some areas is sidelined by record temperatures.
Reports out of Bedford South Wing Hospital in England indicate that the organization’s MRI equipment cannot keep up with demand due to higher-than-average levels of heat and humidity. Similar issues are affecting operations at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, also in the U.K., where hundreds of MRI exams have been canceled while scanners are shut off to allow for cooling.
The heat wave has caused both organizations to temporarily switch off some of their scanners. It takes a significant amount of energy for an MRI system to operate at safe temperatures; when temps get too high, this can affect a system’s ability to cool itself and make it unsafe to conduct scans, especially for older systems.
Both organizations have signaled that they are open to all potential remedies and have “worked tirelessly” to address the demand for imaging during the heat wave. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital added a mobile unit to mitigate delays, while Bedford South Wing Hospital has been rerouting patients to different locations with scanners that are still operational.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Chief Operating Officer Chris Cobb, told patients that the organization also is collaborating with other hospitals and imaging facilities in the area to schedule exams.
"We would like to apologize to everyone affected by this incident,” Cobb said in a statement. “We recognize the distress this has caused and will endeavor to get everyone rebooked as soon as possible."
BBC reports that there are multiple organizations across the U.K. that are facing similar issues with their MRI machines. The shutdowns likely cannot be fully resolved until temperatures begin to drop and stay low for an extended period.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.