The new scanners were promised as part of the government's Elective Reform Plan and mark another step closer towards fixing the NHS and making it fit for the future, as set out in the Plan for Change.
More than one in three women and one in five men will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime and so these scanners are equipped with advanced technology to identify with minute detail the quality of a patient's bones.
The government has announced that 13 areas will receive the new equipment this year, including hospitals in West Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire serving some of the most under-resourced and rural communities, with patients already receiving invitations for appointments to use the new scanners.
Seven of the new machines will enable trusts to offer new or extended DEXA services, improving access and reducing patient journey times. Another six scanners will replace existing machines, helping to increase the reliability and productivity of bone diagnostic services.
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: ‘We know that early diagnosis of brittle bone conditions means faster treatment and better outcomes for patients, which is why I promised before the election that we would deliver an extra 15,000 scans a year. The investment the government is making in new scanners across the country will deliver an extra 29,000 scans a year, almost double what I promised.'
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Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Investing in modern equipment is essential to boosting productivity and improving patient care. Scanners like these will play a crucial role in speeding up the diagnosis, intervention and management of osteoporosis, which improves the health of patients and is more cost-effective for taxpayers.
‘Our members welcomed the capital funding boost announced in the last Budget as a major first step to improving the outdated infrastructure and shortage of diagnostic equipment caused by a decade of underinvestment. But this was still at least £3.3bn a year short of what NHS leaders say is needed to address this historical lack of funding and plug the productivity gap.
‘That is why we hope the government will use next month's Spending Review to increase NHS capital investment and that the forthcoming National Infrastructure Strategy will open up much needed new routes for mutual investment from the private sector.'
Sue Mann, clinical lead for Women's Health at NHS England, said: ‘This is a welcome targeted investment for the NHS trusts across England set to receive these new scanners from this month - they measure tiny reductions in bone density that can help us diagnose osteoporosis in its early stages, before you break a bone.
‘These scanners are key tools for prevention, particularly for some women who are known to be at higher risk of osteoporosis, such as those who go through early menopause.'
Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: ‘Increasing capacity to deliver scans in the hospitals and regions that need it most will be an important step to make sure patients receive timely, effective care no matter where they live.'
