Royal Victoria Hospital, part of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, has become the first hospital in Ireland to introduce the NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime photon-counting CT scanner from Siemens Healthineers, bringing a new generation of CT imaging technology to patients across Northern Ireland. Installed through the hospital's 20-year Value Partnership with Siemens Healthineers, the scanner delivers ultra-high-resolution images at a low dose, helping clinicians detect and assess disease with greater confidence and make more informed treatment decisions.
Representing a new generation of CT, the NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime photon-counting CT scanner from Siemens Healthineers delivers ultra-high-resolution images alongside spectral data from every examination. Its unique 0.2 mm slice thickness enables clinicians to visualise small vessels, subtle anatomical structures and early disease changes with exceptional clarity, providing more diagnostic information from a single examination and supporting confident clinical decision-making.
At Royal Victoria Hospital, the impact is already being seen across multiple clinical specialties. In neurovascular and vascular imaging, improved visualisation of small aneurysms, stents and other fine anatomical structures is supporting more effective follow-up assessments. The enhanced image quality and spectral data are also helping clinicians answer diagnostic questions from a single examination, reducing the need for additional MRI scans or invasive procedures in some cases.
The technology is also helping to advance CT-guided interventional procedures. An integrated laser guidance system supports needle placement during biopsies and tumour ablations, increasing clinician confidence, streamlining workflows and helping to reduce procedure times. For patients, this can mean less time under general anaesthetic and greater comfort during complex procedures.
Alongside its clinical benefits, photon-counting CT is creating new opportunities for specialist training, advanced practice and multidisciplinary collaboration between radiologists, radiographers and medical physicists. This is helping to foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning and professional development within the imaging department.
Radiographers have reported noticeably sharper images, even at lower radiation dose levels. Access to spectral information from every examination is providing additional clinical insight without adding complexity to established scanning workflows, enabling a smooth transition to the new technology.
The installation demonstrates how the ongoing Value Partnership between Royal Victoria Hospital and Siemens Healthineers is supporting long term service transformation. By combining continuous technology refresh cycles with education and workforce development, the partnership helps ensure patients across Northern Ireland have access to the latest imaging innovations while supporting the clinical teams who use them.
“Introducing photon-counting CT has changed the way we approach imaging,” states Daniella O’Hare, lead CT radiographer at Royal Victoria Hospital. “Beyond the exceptional image quality, we’re seeing tangible benefits across our clinical pathways. Just as importantly, it has energised our teams with a strong sense of pride, creating new opportunities for learning and development while ensuring our patients benefit from some of the most advanced imaging technology available.”
"Royal Victoria Hospital is demonstrating how next-generation CT imaging can deliver real benefits in everyday clinical practice," states Carl Smith, business area lead for CT at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland. "As experience with photon-counting CT continues to grow, we're seeing increasing opportunities to support earlier diagnosis, more confident clinical decision-making and improved patient pathways. It's exciting to see patients across Northern Ireland among the first to benefit from this technology."
![Image caption: Pictured with the NAEOTOM Alpha photon-counting CT scanner at Royal Victoria Hospital are [from left to right] Gary Burke – interim imaging services manager at Royal Victoria Hospital, Michael Ennis – account manager, Philip Frizzell – regional operations manager at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, Graham Smith – consultant radiologist, Marion Mulholland – director, Raghu Sathya – consultant radiologist, Niamh Fox - radiographer, Siobhan Speirs – imaging site lead, Rachel Mccaul – radiographer and Daniella O’Hare - lead CT radiographer at Royal Victoria Hospital. The scanner brings a new generation of CT imaging technology to patients across Northern Ireland.](https://marketing.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/b712f0e4a44169a4/6e567f73d06f/v/3c4d47528d88/Untitled-design--1-.png)
Pictured with the NAEOTOM Alpha photon-counting CT scanner at Royal Victoria Hospital are [from left to right] Gary Burke – interim imaging services manager at Royal Victoria Hospital, Michael Ennis – account manager, Philip Frizzell – regional operations manager at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, Graham Smith – consultant radiologist, Marion Mulholland – director, Raghu Sathya – consultant radiologist, Niamh Fox - radiographer, Siobhan Speirs – imaging site lead, Rachel Mccaul – radiographer and Daniella O’Hare - lead CT radiographer at Royal Victoria Hospital. The scanner brings a new generation of CT imaging technology to patients across Northern Ireland.
