Barnet FC and Toshiba Medical Systems bring world class scanning technology to elite athletes imaging professionals and the local community through an advanced medical centre and Imaging Academy based at The Hive.

Toshiba Medical Systems Ltd and Barnet Football Club today announce the development of an advanced medical centre that will provide elite footballers, athletes and the wider community with world class imaging and access to faster treatment options from Barnet FC’s facilities at The Hive.

At the same time, the new medical centre will house the UK’s first integrated Imaging Academy for imaging professionals, run by Toshiba Medical Systems. It will be the first of its kind in the UK, providing the medical community with a centre of excellence for imaging education, including CT, MRI, Ultrasound and general X-Ray clinical applications and technology.

Equipped with state-of-the-art scanning technology from Toshiba Medical Systems, the centre’s imaging technology covers the complete set of scanning modalities from MRI to CT, Ultrasound and X-Ray Scanners:

•    A top end MR – 1.5Tesla

•    An Aquilion PRIME CT scanner

•    An Aplio500 – a premium ultrasound scanner used by many of the UK’s leading research centres

•    A digital radiography X-Ray room.

 

The full set of equipment will come complete with applications and protocols for a wide range of scanning specialism, from advanced neuro applications, to echo-cardiography and muscular skeletal protocols. The centre’s imaging professionals will receive full training on the equipment and applications.

About The Medical Centre

The partnership between Toshiba Medical Systems and The Hive will see the creation of a medical centre of excellence for sports imaging that employs the best consultants using the best, most advanced scanning equipment from Toshiba – all in one place. Soon, UK football players won’t need to go abroad for treatment – they can get quick diagnosis in the UK and if needed get treatment early and get back to playing. With a wider cause in mind, the medical facility and the scanning technologies it possesses will not purely be for elite sports, but also for patients in the community. The medical centre will open its services to local hospitals so that they can refer patients to the facility for scans.

About The Toshiba Imaging Academy

Through the setting up of the UK’s first imaging academy, Toshiba will become the country leaders in practical education for the radiology sector.

The Academy will have classrooms and a lecture hall facility holding up to 500 students, whilst the imaging centre houses the equipment for scanning modalities for practical demonstrations and applied training using applications developed for a wide variety of examinations, from muscular skeletal injury investigation to advance neuro applications for concussion work. The Imaging Academy will be the UK’s best development destination for UK clinicians to learn about imaging.

Tony Kleanthous, Chairman of Barnet FC and The Hive comments: “We’re looking to develop a medical facility the likes of which has not been seen in the UK before. Toshiba will establish an imaging academy at The Hive. It will be a facility for our players and those from around London can take advantage of world class scanning technology as part of player welfare efforts.

“I have been a Director of The Football League and The FA and now a Director of the Football Conference, it’s been clear to see that medical science hasn’t kept up with elite sport in the UK – and we’re about to change that. The current debates around concussion and early diagnosis and treatment, as well as better muscular skeletal care for elite athletes are issues that need to be addressed.

 

“What we have here at The Hive is an international class facility that is not only open and accessible to the football elite but also to the local community too. Our aim for the medical centre is exactly that – to develop a world class medical facility alongside our sports facility that is open to the community.”

Mark Hitchman, UK Managing Director for Toshiba Medical Systems adds: “ Toshiba has a long-established reputation for innovation – from our research and development capabilities, which sees us continually invest in the development and production of the very best scanning equipment on the market – to the way we work in partnership with the likes of Barnet FC, Manchester United and many academic institutes across the UK.

“With the development of this Imaging Centre in partnership with Barnet FC we have evolved the way we do business. Toshiba is now diversifying to be more closely involved at the front-end of care provision not only for elite athletes, but for the wider community as scanning services become available to London hospitals at The Imaging Centre.

“Through the Imaging Academy, we are committed to helping the radiology community and our wider customers develop their imaging knowledge and skills. We already provide significant training and development for hospitals across the UK – now we have the world class facilities to provide this learning and development from our new academy at The Hive.”