News story
30 June 2025
Retired Professor of Radiology, Adrian Dixon, takes a proud look back at being part of a campaigning body of fundraisers in Cambridge that raised an impressive £1 million to buy, and run, Addenbrooke’s first whole body CT scanner – the first for the East of England region.
Known as the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cancer Scanning Appeal Fund (AHCSAF), the group continued to fundraise for the hospital’s first MRI scanner – raising an impressive £1.25 million to purchase the scanner along with the building it was housed in.
This fundraising body later formed the charity, The Fund for Addenbrooke’s (FFA), which together with assets from The Addenbrooke’s Charities, later morphed into today’s Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, which celebrates its 30th birthday this month.
Looking back at the group’s amazing achievement, Professor Dixon talks about the importance of fundraising for state-of-the-art equipment and pioneering research for Addenbrooke’s, the value of the NHS, and also shares some of his stories from those early days of fundraising…
Professor Adrian Dixon, one of the founding members of a fundraising group which later evolved into today’s ACT, first moved to Cambridge back in 1979 – after hearing that the ‘townspeople of Cambridge’ were fundraising for the East of England’s first Body CT scanner for Addenbrooke’s.
Looking back over a highly successful medical career in Cambridge – which saw him part of a body of fundraisers which brought both the first CT and MRI scanners to Cambridge – Professor Dixon said:
“Patients attending Addenbrooke’s are extremely lucky to have the support of ACT for so many ventures that would not otherwise be possible. And having the best possible radiological equipment provides the best possible quality care.”
“CT and MRI scanners have completely revolutionised care for cancer patients who previously had very painful and dangerous invasive investigations such as lymphangiography or open surgery to establish the diagnosis. Now cancer can be detected by cross-sectional imaging, often coupled with percutaneous biopsy (for histopathology) under no more than local anaesthesia. Furthermore, the cancer can be staged and followed up after treatment with non-invasive imaging.”
Explaining the importance of having state-of-the art equipment, Professor Dixon said:
“We have become rather complacent about having some of this amazing equipment but it is important to remember that it is essential for a major hospital to have it. It facilitates top quality research and attracts and retains top quality staff. Furthermore, patients now receive a precise diagnosis in an almost painless procedure which leads to optimal treatment and outcome.”
As the official hospital charity for Addenbrooke’s, ACT funds high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.
The MRIS department at Addenbrooke’s continues to uphold its reputation as one of the leading departments in the UK – with its GE 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner used as a showcase scanner for GE for other hospitals to visit. Last year the scanner was the first in the UK to be wrapped with nature-themed vinyl, reducing anxiety in patients, resulting in earlier diagnosis and saving thousands of pounds in patient care.
Professor Dixon, who still lives in Cambridge, qualified as a doctor from the University of Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s Hospital where he was a research fellow in body computed tomography in the 1970s. He helped to introduce Body CT and MRI to Cambridge; these techniques provide sectional images of the body using X-Rays and radiofrequency waves respectively.
He first moved to Addenbrooke’s in 1979 as a University Lecturer and honorary consultant radiologist and was elected to the Professorship of Radiology in 1994.
Professor Dixon said it was partly the pull of the fundraising campaign that first drew him to Cambridge, along with the excitement of working with Foundation Professor Sherwood and expert NHS radiologists.
Joining the body of fundraisers who successfully raised £1 million to buy and run Addenbrooke’s first CT Scanner, for the first five years, Professor Dixon joined a group of well-placed committee members helping to make things happen.
The campaign was the brainchild of John Phillips, a City Councillor and head of a local taxi company who was joined by wife Kathleen (BEM); then mayor, Don Mackay; Tony Durham, editor of the Cambridge News; Head of Police, Bernard Hotson; prominent lawyer Paddy Crossman; Senior Radiologist Dr Duncan Gregg; Alan Shepherd (secretary); with accountant Brian Rata, OBE, amongst others. Dr Gregg generously stepped down to allow Professor Dixon to take over as Medical Advisor on the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cancer Scanning Appeal Fund (AHCSAF) as he had previous experience of Body CT.
Just like today’s fundraisers, who give their time and passion so tirelessly to ACT, Professor Dixon said it was the same back then – mentioning the ‘many remarkable local fundraisers throughout East Anglia’ including a lady called Millie Birch – ‘who seemed to know everybody in Suffolk’. Then there were the members of the fundraising committee – ‘who gave their time freely’ – as well as the doctors who donated any private fees back into fundraising (especially the late Dr Charles Freer).
Fundraisers would spend their nights giving talks across the county whilst holding down demanding day jobs and one story from Professor Dixon’s many memories of the time include Police Chief Bernard Hotson arranging for local police officers to collect donations on the committee’s behalf if no-one was available.
Some famous faces have also helped boost fundraising along the way too. Jockeys Frankie Dettori and Ray Cochrane were brought to Addenbrooke’s following a fatal plane crash at Newmarket, which sadly took the life of the pilot. After going through CT scanners, both pledged to help fundraise for Addenbrooke’s – and later held a day’s racing at Newmarket, raising £100,000 for ACT.
Professor Dixon’s early group of fundraisers raised over £22 million – with ACT itself injecting over £150 million in Addenbrooke’s over the past 30 years.
Looking back at his time with the AHCSAF, Professor Dixon said: “I am extremely proud of being part of the townspeople’s success story and of course it was marvellous for me (and my wife) as a young consultant to meet so many interesting people and make so many good friends.”
“It is absolutely essential that fundraising continues, particularly for innovative equipment and projects that the NHS cannot possibly afford and it is vital that ACT continues to grow in order to compete with charities that have been going for the last few centuries!”
Click here if you would like to help ACT to continue in its mission to fund ground-breaking research and state-of-the-art equipment.
Click here to read more of ACT’s story.
Fundraising timeline
- Professor Dixon moves to Cambridge in 1979 to join the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cancer Scanning Appeal Fund (AHCSAF) raising money for the hospital’s first full body CT Scanner – the first for the East of England region.
- Having hit their target of £500,000 (the equivalent to £1 million in today’s money), the group was then asked to raise a further £500,000 to pay for the running costs for the first five years.
- King Charles, then HRH Prince of Wales, opened the Body CT unit in June 1981 (see photo of Adrian with the then HRH Prince of Wales below).
- Professor Dixon and his fundraising group go on to raise £1.25 million for the City’s first MRI Scanner and building – opened by the HRH Duchess of Kent on 6th October 1987 (see photos of Professor Dixon and Brian Rata with the HRH Duchess of Kent below)
- HRH the Duke of Edinburgh opens the refurbished MRI Department on 14th June 1995 (photo of Duke of Edinburgh below with Professor David J Lomas)
