Why Wells Health?

  • Fast access to diagnostic tests and scans
  • Specialist in a wide range of treatments
  • Clear pricing with no hidden charges

 

A computerised tomography (CT) scan is a non-invasive medical test that can help look for signs of inflammation, disease or cancer, and monitor many other health conditions. It uses specialised X-ray equipment and a computer to create images of the inside of your body.

CT scans are performed by our radiographers who are of the highest standard and benefit from working in our modern, well-equipped hospitals.

A referral letter from a consultant or GP is required before booking any diagnostic investigation.

 

Why you might need it

Bones, internal organs, soft tissue and the brain can be viewed in detail  to help diagnose inflammation, hip pain, abdominal pain, crepitus, disease and cancer, and monitor many other health conditions.

Where a standard X-ray only sends out one beam to capture an image, during a CT scan several beams of X-ray are sent out at different angles. This creates a much more detailed picture in two or three dimensions.

Your doctor may recommend you have a CT scan to examine your chest and abdomen. or may suggest one to check for cancers, such as breast cancer or bladder cancer.

A CT scan can provide clear images of different types of tissue, such as the liver, intestine and kidneys, so can help to identify a range of conditions including pneumonia and kidney tears.

CT scans are used to identify abnormal tissue in areas such as the pancreas, liver and blood vessels, which can help to diagnose different types of cancer and to check for bleeding, blood clots and suspected tumours in the brain.

They are also able to take pictures of bones and the surrounding muscles and blood vessels, which is useful when looking at the condition of blood vessels and bone disease such as osteoporosis.

Preparing for your CT scan

You will need a referral letter from a consultant or GP before booking any diagnostic investigation.

You will have a formal consultation with a healthcare professional. During this time you will be able to explain your medical history, symptoms and raise any concerns that you might have.

We will also discuss with you whether any further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, are needed. Any additional costs will be discussed before further tests are carried out.

Preparing for your treatment

We'll try to make your experience as easy and relaxed as possible. Our team will give you tailored advice in the run up to your visit so you know how to prepare.

Your procedure

Having a scan can be an anxious time, and our experienced and caring staff will be there every step of the way.

Depending on the part of your body being examined, you may have an injection of a dye (contrast medium) to make some tissues show up more clearly, or drink a liquid that will help improve the quality of the scan. 

These dyes are harmlessly removed from your blood by your kidney and passed out in your urine.
A CT scanner is a large, doughnut-shaped machine with a ring in the centre. Only the part of your body inside the ring can be scanned. A CT scan is painless.

During the procedure, you will lie on a table that can slide in or out of the ring. Your radiographer will position the table so that the part of your body being scanned is lying in the centre of the scanner.

The table will move backwards or forwards very slowly and the X-ray unit will rotate around you to help produce images from all directions.

Your radiographer will operate the scanner from behind a window, and he or she will be able to see, hear and speak to you during the procedure.

It can take several minutes for each image to form and it’s important to lie very still during the process. At certain points during the scan you may be asked to hold your breath or swallow.

The whole scanning process will take between 15 minutes and one hour, depending on the different angles and number of pictures needed. The images are either stored on film or kept in a digital format and shown on a computer screen.

How much does a CT scan cost?

Please contact us for a quote.