A NEW state-of-the-art cancer scanner will provide south Essex patients with access to treatment five days per week.

Health bosses have identified south Essex as an area to benefit from a new positron emission tomography, known as PET, scanner, which is largely used to diagnose cancers.

NHS England has recommended the scanner is installed at Southend Hospital, replacing an existing mobile unit sited at Basildon Hospital.

The decision over where to place the scanner is complicated by the fact Essex, unlike most parts of the country, has no single specialist cancer hospital.

Instead, different hospitals specialise in different cancers – Basildon leads on lung cancer, Broomfield on head and neck cancer, while Southend and Colchester provide radiotherapy.

PET scanners are usually located at the same site as radiotherapy services.

The existing service at Basildon is used two or three days per week, providing between 800 and 1,200 scans a year to south Essex residents.

A report by NHS England, being considered by Essex County Council, said: “South Essex has been identified to benefit from increased capacity and improved facilities through moving from a two-day per week mobile unit to a fixed facility that will function five days per week.

“There are no immediate safety or quality concerns with the current service in south Essex.

However, there is room for improvement in the speed of diagnosing cancer in south Essex which will improve clinical outcomes for patients.”

Because of the limited usage of the current scanner, only 58 per cent of users were given a choice of appointment time, compared to the national target of 70 per cent. The report said: “As well as earlier diagnosis and treatment, greater capacity to carry out more scans on more days would mean a greater choice of appointment time.”

NHS England is recommending the new PET scanner is installed in Southend, rather than Basildon, because it can be ready for use 12 months sooner.

There is an unused scanner in a purpose-built unit at Southend Hospital, which would be moved elsewhere in the country to make way for the new device.

A final decision will be taken in November and the scanner could be ready for use within a month.

WHAT IS THE SCANNER?

POSITRON emission tomography provides scans to help diagnose cancers.

A small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a patient’s vein to show how the body breaks down and uses glucose.

Cancer cells use glucose differently and will show up on the scan.

About 70,000 PET scans will be carried out in England this year, 95 per cent of which are for cancer patients.

In February, a new provider was awarded a ten-year NHS contract to provide PET scanning in England.

South Essex has been identified as an area in need of new equipment.