Salford Royal Hospital is set to benefit from a new state of the art bone scanner, doubling the number of patients who can be seen and diagnosed every day. The DEXA scanner (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) is part of a nationwide initiative to improve osteoporosis detection and bone health.
The previous scanner at Salford Royal was operational for almost 10 years, but the new scanner allows us to scan even more people, up to 15 a day, almost doubling the amount of people that can be diagnosed early.
Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures, affects more than one in three women and one in five men. Many patients remain unaware of their condition until they suffer a painful break, often from a seemingly minor movement.
The advanced technology in the new scanners allows clinicians to detect subtle changes in bone density, ensuring patients receive timely and effective interventions.
A DEXA scanner is a medical device used to measure bone density and assess bone strength. The scanner, one of 13 being introduced across the country, will provide thousands of additional scans each year, aiding early diagnosis and treatment of brittle bone conditions.
Rebecca Murphy, a DEXA reporting radiographer at Salford Royal Hospital, and her team welcomed the arrival of the new scanner. Rebecca said: “This cutting-edge equipment will significantly improve patient care, allowing us to detect osteoporosis earlier and tailor treatments to reduce fracture risks.”
Rebecca also emphasised that early detection can significantly reduce the impact of osteoporosis, particularly for high-risk groups such as post-menopausal women and men over the age of 50. She added: “Osteoporosis has traditionally been associated with older people but in recent years we see an increasing amount of people under the age of 40 showing symptoms.”
With the new scanner now operational at Salford Royal Hospital, patients can expect faster diagnoses, improved access to treatment, and better long-term management of their bone health.
The Salford scanner is also used to assist specialised imaging studies and soft tissue research.
The rollout of these scanners is part of the government’s Elective Reform Plan, designed to modernise healthcare and reduce waiting times.
