Extra cash for cancer scanners

There are only seven PET scanners on the NHS in England

Ministers have announced an investment package to pay for a big increase in the number of hi-tech cancer scanners.

The £20m cash injection may double the number of PET scanners - particularly effective for treating lung and bowel cancer.

It is hoped the money will relieve the postcode lottery in access and go some way to meeting the expected quadrupling in demand for scans by 2008.

But cancer charities said even more scanners were needed.

While PET (positron emission tomography) scans are traditionally used for bowel and lung cancer, there is also evidence they are effective for head and neck cancers.

As well as helping diagnose cancer, they can determine the spread of the disease and whether surgery is appropriate.

The UK lags behind the rest of Europe and the US in the provision of PET Peter Cardy, of Macmillan Cancer Relief

Just over 10,000 scans are carried out each year, but within three years the figure could reach 40,000. The rest of the demand is expected to be met by the private sector.

Unlike other diagnostic equipment waiting times are not a problem where the scanners are available. In some areas of London patients only have to wait a week.

But with all but one of the seven scanners in England based in the south east, patients in the north of the country are often not even referred for a scan.

It is not clear how many new scanners the extra money will pay for as it has not been decided what proportion of fixed and mobile scanners should be ordered and where they should be based.

Postcode lottery

But the government believes it will have a significant impact on the postcode lottery.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: "The NHS Cancer Plan is delivering results - more investment and more staff have led to cancer death rates falling across the board. However, we need to do more to speed up treatment even further.

"This new equipment will provide thousands of extra scans. Investment in scanning facilities will mean faster treatment for patients in locations where they are most needed."

But Peter Cardy, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief, speaking on behalf of a range of cancer charities, said more was needed.

"We welcome this timely announcement from the government, but we believe it doesn't go far enough.

"The UK lags behind the rest of Europe and the US in the provision of PET."

And he added the NHS needed "at least 15" scanners to meet the needs of cancer patients.

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said hospitals could struggle to use the scanners as they did not have the money to keep running them.

"Surely, the risk is that like the MRI, these scanners will be under-used or even mothballed."