A PRIVATE Southampton hospital has invested £15m into a new CT scanner, bringing faster diagnoses for cancer patients.

Spire Southampton Hospital has unveiled a new, state-of-the art CT scanner, which will speed up diagnoses for patients with cancer and other diseases.

The scanner represents a £1.5 million investment by Spire Healthcare and will enable up to 20 patients a day to be scanned to detect cancer, cardiac disease and urgent neurological, gynaecological and orthopaedic conditions.

It will will help provide diagnoses for both NHS and private patients, which will alleviate pressure on waiting lists and reduce waiting times for a scan.

The new equipment uses the latest technology, which means that it will take less time to complete scans, meaning more patients can be seen for a diagnosis than in the past.

The new equipment is much wider inside than other scanners, and so is more comfortable for patients.

The scanning service currently operates Monday to Saturday, although it may be extended to cover Sundays, if there is demand.

Fiona Taylor, hospital director at Spire Southampton Hospital, said: “Here at Spire Southampton Hospital, we are absolutely committed to making sure our patients can have fast access to diagnosis and treatment. Investing in state-of-the-art facilities, like our new scanner, enables us to do this.

“We are proud to be playing an important role in keeping a wide range of services going, including cancer services, at a time when our local NHS Trust needs to focus much of its resource on treating COVID-positive patients.

"With our new scanner, we can continue to support the local community and help address rising waiting lists in the area.”

The new scanner is part of a broader investment programme that has included a £1.8 million MRI scanner, installed last year, an increase in the hospital’s bed capacity, and five new day care pods that are due to open later this month.