Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) has strengthened its diagnostic imaging capabilities with the installation of a new GE Aurora SPECT/CT system, bringing advanced nuclear medicine technology to patients across North East Victoria.
The new system is the first GE Aurora SPECT/CT installed in Victoria and only the second of its kind in Australia, providing patients in the region with access to leading diagnostic imaging technology closer to home.
NHW Acting CEO Maree Woodhouse said the investment was an important addition to the health service’s diagnostic capabilities.
“Having this advanced technology available here in Wangaratta means patients across our region can access high-quality diagnostic imaging closer to home,” Ms Woodhouse said.
“It is an important investment in our regional health service and in our ability to continue providing contemporary, high-quality care for the communities we serve.”
The new system combines Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with a fully diagnostic CT, enabling detailed functional and anatomical imaging to be undertaken using the one system.
The technology provides higher-quality nuclear medicine imaging, faster image acquisition and more precise localisation of abnormalities through the combination of SPECT and CT imaging.
It also incorporates metal artefact reduction technology, which can improve imaging and localisation for patients with prosthetic implants or other metallic devices, including people who have undergone joint replacement surgery.
Ms Woodhouse said the new system represented a significant advancement for NHW’s Nuclear Medicine service.
“The installation of Victoria’s first GE Aurora SPECT/CT is an exciting development for Northeast Health Wangaratta and represents another important step in strengthening specialist nuclear medicine diagnostic services available to our local and broader regional community,” Ms Woodhouse said.
A key benefit of the new system is the fully diagnostic capability of its CT component, which can also provide additional CT capacity for NHW’s Medical Imaging Department.
This will help maintain access to diagnostic CT imaging during planned maintenance or an unexpected outage of the department’s dedicated CT scanner, improving the resilience and continuity of imaging services.
Ms Woodhouse said investments in technology and infrastructure were an important part of supporting sustainable healthcare in regional communities.
“Access to reliable diagnostic services is an important part of a patient’s healthcare journey, and this new system strengthens both the quality and resilience of the services we can provide locally,” she said.
“We are proud to be bringing this technology to North East Victoria and supporting our clinicians with the tools they need to deliver exceptional care.”
The new GE Aurora SPECT/CT was installed and commissioned following the removal of NHW’s previous nuclear medicine system and became operational in September.