§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRI scanners each NHS trust has; and what the age of each machine is. [129760]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonIn the national health service in England. 145 NHS trusts have at least one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner installed. In total there are currently 206 MRI scanners installed.
A programme to provide an additional 50 machines was announced on 22 May 2003 as well as funding to support a programme of replacement over the next three years. We anticipate there will be approximately 275 MRI scanners by the end of 2004, and by December 2006. no MRI scanner will be older than 10 years.
The list of MRI scanners currently installed in the NHS in England has been placed in the Library.