CT DEPARTMENT

OUR STAFF

The CT Scanning department established by the Cobalt Appeal Fund was opened in May 2006. We have been fortunate in attracting an experienced team of Consultant Radiologists and Radiographers.

Nigel Benatar, Lead Superintendent Radiographer

Mrs. Roisin Dobbin-Stacey, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer

Nigel Benatar

Nigel graduated from Hertfordshire University in 1992 having gained practical training at Hammersmith, Central Middlesex, and Northwick Park Hospitals in North West London.

On qualification Nigel gained experience in general Radiography and Nuclear Medicine at Hemel Hempstead, St Abans Hospitals and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings. Nigel joined the Clinical PET Centre in August 1997 and was promoted to Superintendent Radiographer in June 2001. In January 2004 Nigel was instrumental in setting up and running the first mobile PET-CT service in the UK when it was based at the Guy’s Hospital site. Nigel oversaw the installation of two PET/CT scanners at St Thomas’ Hospital replacing the PET only scanners, and developed the scanning protocols used to run the service. Nigel joined the Cheltenham Imaging Centre in January 2006 in order to oversee the development of the PET/CT service. He has assisted in establishing the CT Imaging department which now offers a full range of diagnostic CT Imaging techniques.

Roisin Dobbin-Stacey

Roisin graduated from Kingston University. Roisin gained practical experience at St Georges, Kingston, Royal Marsden, and Great Ormond Street Hospitals, prior to joining the Clinical PET Centre in July 2000.

Roisin was promoted to Deputy Superintendent Radiographer in August 2003.

In January 2004 alongside Nigel, Roisin was instrumental in setting up and running the first mobile PET-CT service in the UK when it was based at the Guy’s Hospital site.

In March 2005 Roisin won the best presentation prize at the spring BNMS conference for her paper on mobile PET/CT scanning. Roisin believes that PET/CT is an important advance for patient care, enabling increased accuracy of staging and monitoring disease.

Roisin joined the Cobalt unit in February 2006 to co-ordinate with Nigel in setting up the new PET-CT &  CT Imaging service. She is a key member of the CT Imaging department advising and assisting in a range of CT techniques.

Dr Iain Lyburn

Dr Iain Lyburn studied medicine at the University of Bristol graduating in 1991 and did an Internal Medicine rotation at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham gaining MRCP, prior to training in Radiology in the South-west Region and as a Fellow in cross-sectional imaging at Vancouver General Hospital, Canada. He was a consultant radiologist at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol for 18 months prior to taking up his consultant appointment with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in November 2002. He is actively involved in teaching as a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Bristol and the University of Gloucestershire, is an invited referee for 5 peer reviewed medical journals and was appointed to the Editorial Board of the British Journal of Radiology in September 2005 as an Associate Editor. He co-author of a radiological text book, over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals, over 50 published abstracts and over 40 posters exhibited at scientific meetings.

In 2004 he was awarded the Reginald G Reid/Graham-Hodgson Scholarship by the Royal College of Radiologists to undertake a sabbatical in research and training in FDG PET and PET/CT at The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital, London where he is an honorary consultant radiologist. Imaging Interests include oncological Imaging. Breast Imaging. PET-CT, CT, MRI & Nuclear Medicine.

Dr Richard Hopkins

Dr Richard Hopkins qualified in medicine from Bristol University in 1992. Postgraduate qualifications include MRCP obtained in 1995 during an internal medicine rotation in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, prior to training in Radiology in the South-west Region. He undertook a 1 year CT and MRI body imaging Fellowship in Vancouver General Hospital Canada in 2001. He is the author of an award winning radiology text book. He was appointed Consultant Radiologist at Cheltenham General Hospital in 2002.

Imaging interests include body imaging and musculoskeletal imaging.

Mrs. Marion Strickland

Marion qualified from the Central Birmingham School of Radiography in June 1982. Marion has developed her career in Nuclear Medicine at many of the leading teaching Hospitals within the UK, including the Royal Liverpool and Christie Hospital. Whilst at The Royal Liverpool Hospital Marion’s clinical experience was enhanced by being seconded on a weekly basis to the University of Salford, where she operated as clinical co-ordinater on the MSc Nuclear Medicine course. Marion has also gained Gamma Camera PET imaging experience over the last five years.

Ms Karen Thomas

Karen qualified in Radiography in June 1980, prior to taking up an appointment at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. Karen moved to Cheltenham General Hospital in 1983, where she has developed her career in Nuclear Medicine, being promoted to Lead Radiographer in 1989. Karen has developed her practical Nuclear Medicine experience whilst leading the department and obtaining higher qualifications including an MSc in the modality. Karen has also been successful in establishing a sentinel node scanning service in Cheltenham.