A state-of-the-art medical centre has opened at the Frenchay hospital site, made possible by generous donations to Southmead Hospital Charity. The funding has enabled the purchase of specialist equipment for the new Bristol 3D Medical Centre – bringing cutting-edge scanning, design and 3D printing technology into one dedicated space, and transforming how patient-specific devices and medical models are created.
The Bristol 3D Medical Centre, located in the Beckspool building, brings together scanning, design and 3D printing into one integrated service – creating patient-specific devices and medical models that will support safer and more precise care. This innovative approach is the first of its kind in UK healthcare, with all stages of the process taking place in one hospital location.
The centre will support patients at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and beyond, offering specialist expertise in reconstructive science and advanced digital technology. It’s a significant step forward in the development of medical technology across the South West and has the potential to influence services nationally.
Amy Davey, Senior Reconstructive Scientist at Southmead Hospital, shared how the technology is transforming patient experiences:
“Surface scanning patients for prosthetics can not only be carried out whilst the patient is moving, but the technology can use that movement to aid the prostheses to accommodate movement. The old method of producing a helmet for babies with plagiocephaly and brachycephaly required a general anaesthetic to eliminate movement whilst the mould of the baby’s skull was produced. 3D surface scanning can now take place whilst the baby moves around freely and happily and a 3D printed helmet subsequently produced from that scan.
“3D printing also uses advanced plastic resins whose properties closely resemble those of the bones themselves allowing a far more ’natural’ implant or prosthetic. 3D scanning over time can be useful in quantifying a patient’s progress and enabling any necessary adjustments to be carried out, particularly for treating and monitoring scars.”
As well as developing new techniques, the centre is also exploring new uses for 3D models, such as producing a replica of a damaged kidney to help surgeons better prepare for operations, highlighting areas to be removed alongside crucial nerves and blood vessels.
Much of the centre’s equipment has been made possible by generous donations to Southmead Hospital Charity. Amy highlighted the difference that donor support is making:
“The funding from Southmead Hospital Charity enabled us to purchase the main 3D surface scanner, as well as the accompanying software, desktop surface scanner and AR headset. We will start using it to treat patients requiring prosthetics and reconstruction, immediately increasing our current capacity for this work by 50%.
“We feel very fortunate to have received the funding from the charity, which will help us to provide great patient care by providing a more relaxing and less intrusive scanning process and, as the equipment is state-of-the-art, it ensures that ourselves and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust (UHBW) are providing healthcare that is fit for the future.”
Sally Bennett, Director of Southmead Hospital Charity, added:
“We are thrilled that we have secured funding for the equipment within the centre and are delighted that it will have a large impact on a patients experience.”
The opening of the centre has also been welcomed by NBT’s clinical leadership. Tim Whittlestone, Chief Medical Officer at NBT, said:
“I am delighted that the Bristol 3D Medical Centre is now open and operational. On behalf of NBT, I would like to thank key donors to Southmead Hospital Charity. Thanks to your remarkable donation, this is set to become one of the first centres of its kind in the UK and another innovative partnership between North Bristol Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust.”
The Bristol 3D Medical Centre represents an exciting leap forward in the use of advanced technologies to enhance patient care, and it’s thanks to the generosity of our supporters that this vision is now a reality.
