State-of-the-art scanning units at the Royal Preston Hospital, part of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which provide detailed images of the body, will open their doors to the public on Saturday.

As part of celebrations for World Radiography Day, the Fulwood-based hospital will provide a sneak preview to budding radiographers, students and the general public of the work of its Nuclear Medicine, PETCT Centre and CT scanning teams.

The aim is to raise awareness of the work of radiographers.

The £6 million PET CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computerised Tomography) scanner coupled with a sophisticated production unit is the only one of its kind at a hospital in the UK and one of only two in the world.

It is a new scanning technique – not widely available in the UK - which uses CT or ‘cat’ scans to create a detailed image of the organs and a PET scan for a map of cancer sites to find out how it has spread in a patient’s body.

As well as the most advanced scanning technology, the Trust will provide an insight into the Nuclear Medicine Department and CT and MRI scans, highlighting the important and often unseen work of radiographers.

A display stand about radiography will also be on show and staff will be on hand to answers questions from anyone interested in starting a career.

Emma Wright, Specialist Radiographer in Nuclear Medicine, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If you go to hospital, you will probably see a radiographer and many people do not know what we do. General diagnostic radiographers produce x-rays for diagnosis of injury.

“The Nuclear Medicine and PETCT Radiographers produce functional images providing information about the spread of diseases.

"CT radiographers produce cross sectional imaging for the diagnosis of oncology and injury and is particularly good in serious multiple trauma.

“Everyone is welcome to come and see what we do, and ask questions.”

The open day on Saturday 8 November of the Nuclear Medicine, CT and PETCT units will run between 10am and 1pm with tours starting in the Nuclear Medicine Department at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Those attending should follow signs to car park L and enter the hospital at the entrance in the top right hand corner of the car park and follow signs to the Nuclear Medicine waiting room.