Calderdale Royal Hospital becomes first NHS Trust to introduce Disney-themed MRI scanners
Calderdale Royal Hospital has become the first NHS Trust to introduce Disney-themed MRI scanners designed to help make scans less frightening for children.
Around 200,000 children in the UK undergo MRI scans each year, with many struggling to stay still or finding the experience distressing.
The state-of-the-art scanners use lighting, sound, and integrated Disney characters to transform the MRI environment into a more immersive, calming and familiar experience for children undergoing scans.
Clinicians at Calderdale Royal report strong results, with one radiologist noting: “We have huge success with this and our general anaesthetic rate has come right down.”
Now, following peer-reviewed European research which saw impressive results, the technology will roll out to 87 countries worldwide.
As part of the launch, more than 100 NHS hospitals already using the Philips Ambient Experience system are now eligible to use the Disney stories and characters, at no additional cost.
“By bringing Disney stories into the MRI environment, we are helping create a setting where children can feel more at ease and remain still during scans,” said Atul Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Diagnosis and Treatment at Philips.
“Reducing stress can improve the experience for young patients and their families, while helping care teams deliver efficient, high-quality imaging so they can care for more children each day, supporting better care for more people.”
Lisa Haines, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company, said: “We’re proud to collaborate with Philips to extend that impact into MRI rooms in a meaningful way—using our beloved stories and characters to help provide moments of escape, normalcy, and reassurance during what can be an intimidating experience for kids in hospitals.”