Low cost equipment for rapid throughput chest radiography.

Reorganisation within Harrow Health District in 1987 resulted in chest services being centralised at Northwick Park Hospital, and during the planning period much thought was given to choosing cost effective equipment capable of a throughput of a minimum of 30 patients per hour. The equipment that has been installed is based on a Transworld DCX-100 MSP1 dedicated chest unit, and is currently the only unit of its kind installed in the UK. After two years of use it is now possible to make comments on the benefits and drawbacks of the system, and this article may be of particular interest to managers of imaging departments in district general hospitals where value for money with low capital outlay is an important consideration.