Australia's Tasmanian Government has announced that the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) has started using a new computed tomography (CT) scanner at its Emergency Department.

The CT scanner installed at RHH, known as Somatom X.ceed CT scanner, is claimed to be one of the fastest available in the market, with quicker turnaround times to help busy medical professionals.

This is claimed to be the first time a Somatom X.ceed CT scanner has been installed in Tasmania.

The use of this CT scanner is expected to help RHH clinicians diagnose patients more accurately and quickly, thereby allowing them to handle time-critical and life-threatening situations in a better way.

CT scanners help in diagnosing a range of medical conditions such as analysing internal injuries, diagnosing diseases or injuries, and providing assistance in planning treatments.

Somatom X.ceed CT machine has been installed utilising more than A$1m ($632,600) investment provided by the Tasmanian or Rockliff Liberal government.

This investment was a part of the Tasmanian government’s long-term plan to deliver the required healthcare services to local people.

According to Tasmania health minister Guy Barnett, the newly installed CT scanner has already started benefitting the patients and clinicians at the RHH, which has recently recorded a significant increase in patients, specifically in the Emergency Department.

Barnett added: “Our government is committed to improving outcomes for patients and investing in new equipment and technology to support the health and well-being of all Tasmanians.

“This new CT scanner at RHH is a prime example. This is a high-tech, state-of-the-art piece of equipment that is providing improved image quality and reduced scan times.

“This is a win-win for Tasmanian patients and our hard-working hospital staff. It is positive for patients because it means they can be more quickly and accurately diagnosed, in time-critical situations. The scanner also provides for increased comfort for patients.

“For clinicians, the availability of new machines helps them to treat patients faster, increasing confidence of diagnosis and saving valuable time, as demands on health system continue to increase.”

The Somatom X.ceed CT machine has been installed with more than A$1m ($632,600) investment provided by the Tasmanian government.