NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the University of Glasgow welcomed Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray to the Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus.
The visit formed part of the First Minister’s address to a national audience of public service leaders and innovators, where he set out his vision for renewing Scotland’s NHS – with technology, prevention and early intervention at its core.
He described ICE as a place where “Scotland is quite literally at a leading position in the world in the development of this technology” and singled out precision medicine and digital innovation as key areas for investment and acceleration.
ICE is a unique collaboration between NHSGGC and the University of Glasgow, combining clinical expertise and academic research to drive world-class advancements in imaging, AI, and data science. Its work is supporting transformation across the NHS and beyond, reflecting the First Minister’s call for a more integrated, preventative and digitally enabled public sector.
During his visit, Mr Swinney was taken on a tour to see the 7 Tesla MRI scanner – one of the most powerful in the world – which is being used to advance clinical research and allow scientists and clinicians to study the human body in greater resolution than ever before.
Professor Jann Gardner, Chief Executive of NHSGGC, said: “It was a privilege to host the First Minister at ICE and demonstrate how innovation can directly enhance patient care. The centre is a fantastic example of Scotland’s triple helix approach to partnership working between the NHS, academia and industry, and of how new technologies can support our clinicians in delivering more timely, effective, and personalised treatment. This visit is a strong signal of our shared commitment to building a modern and sustainable health service for the people of Scotland.”
The First Minister’s wider speech reinforced the importance of collaboration, investment in prevention, and system-wide change, all of which aligns with NHSGGC recently launched system wide improvement programme, Transforming Together, and the role of ICE in delivering cutting-edge, value-based care.
