PLANS have been lodged to build an extension at Furness General Hospital to house MRI scanning facilities.

The Morecambe Bay health trust has asked Barrow Council to consider the proposal to increase capacity at the site and refurbish some existing facilities.

Plans submitted to the council say there is an ‘increasing trend’ in the region for referrals for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scans.

Proposals have been made for a new scan room and refurbishment of a control room.

A statement making up the plans said: “The existing MRI and CT scanning facilities are located within the main hospital building to the south of the building plan.

“All existing (and the proposed) facilities are located at ground floor within the radiology department which is accessed from the main hospital street.

“The relatively flat, undeveloped grassed land on which the extension is proposed sits between the radiology department and theatres block.

“The physiotherapy department which sits to the west of the site (behind the existing MRI projection) has its own entrance but other than this, pedestrian routes are via the main entrance to the north west and the ED and maternity entrances to the north. The entire hospital is predominantly flat roofed and red brick in appearance punctured by white framed windows.

“Where mono-pitched elements break the straight line of the building these roofs are generally finished in a light grey metal standing seam.”