New bone scanner coming to village hospital

Some women are known to be at higher risk of osteoporosis, such as those who go through early menopause

A new state-of-the-art bone scanner to help early diagnosis of illnesses such as osteoporosis is coming to a Surrey hospital.

Cranleigh Village Hospital will receive one of 13 new scanners pledged by the government.

Sue Mann, clinical lead for women's health at NHS England, said the new scanners were a "welcome targeted investment" for the NHS Trusts set to receive them.

"They measure tiny reductions in bone density that can help us diagnose osteoporosis in its early stages, before you break a bone," she added.

"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."

Osteoporosis, which weakens bones making them fragile and more likely to break, affects more than two million women in England.

More than one in three women and one in five men will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

'Life-threatening fractures'

The new DEXA scanners have advanced technology to identify with minute detail the quality of a patient's bones, the DHSC said.

The first patients will receive an invitation for appointments to use the new scanner later this year.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said people in Surrey with undiagnosed osteoporosis would "benefit enormously" from the new scanner.

"Osteoporosis can cause life-threatening fractures, bringing hospitalisation and isolation, but this new scanner will diagnose thousands of patients early, giving them back the lives and futures they deserve," he added.

Services at Cranleigh Village Hospital, which is run by Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, include radiology, podiatry, physiotherapy and numerous outpatient clinics.