In the new diagnostic centre located at The Glass Works shopping centre, in Barnsley, UK, the top-performance DR 600 is supporting patient convenience, care and satisfaction, with a smooth, easy workflow that delights radiography staff.

“Demand for radiography has been growing exponentially in the UK for many years. Tackling the resulting waiting lists requires new and more innovative ways of delivering the services people need. One approach has been to enable ‘healthy’ patients to do elective tests and checks away from the hospital, in a more convenient, dedicated space. That’s what the Community Diagnostic Centre located in The Glass Works shopping centre in Barnsley does. The inpatient and emergency imaging for Barnsley Hospital is now completely separated from our outpatient imaging – and it has been having an enormous impact,” starts Alison Lamb, Deputy Service Manager/ Deputy Professional Lead Radiographer, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in Barnsley, UK.

For this bright, new center, the Trust chose to install Agfa’s ceiling-suspended DR 600 X-ray room. “We visited another hospital with a DR 600 and were very impressed. The fully automatic DR 600 means less moving and handling by the radiographers, and the full leg/full spine (FLFS) bucky extends all the way to the floor. We also liked that the system pauses and prompts you to confirm the patient data: an important safety feature. All in all, the Trust felt the DR 600 was the best option for the new CDC,” continues  Alison Lamb.

Installed in the CDC in June 2022, the DR 600 has more than fulfilled expectations. “The system is very userfriendly and easy for new users to learn; it even gives ‘helpful hints’ for users. Dedicated buttons for specific functions use clear, simple language instead of symbols, for example.  Since we went live, we have had no problems requiring an engineer to come to the site – which is almost unheard of,” comments Rebecca Charnock, Modality lead plain film, “Reliability and uptime are a big concern for us, as we have only one X-ray room at the CDC.”

The Trust is so pleased with the DR 600 at the CDC, that it has also ordered one for the hospital. “We are certain that the DR 600 will do just as well in the hospital environment as at the CDC,” says Rachel Spooner, clinical team lead.

Read the full customer testimonial here