Two new mobile breast units are to go out on the screening rounds in Derbyshire this autumn.
The new vans – one with a pink interior and one with blue - replace the ones which have been in operation for the last 15 years and are the first major piece of equipment replaced by the Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust through a managed equipment service provided with Asteral.
A new MRI scanner for Derby patients is expected in the New Year.
The vans carry state-of-the-art digital machines, which work more quickly and provide a higher-resolution image for analysis.
Superintendent radiographer, Jean Bonsall, said: “The digital image will be produced straight away, which will make things easier for the radiographers, and better for the patient, as they won’t have to wait around. The technology means the radiographer can focus her attention on the patient, rather than the machine.”
The improved imaging will be particularly useful for younger patients, she added, as it will be able to detect smaller anomalies in scans.
The pink van was delivered this week. It will head out on the road next Wednesday, with the first stop in Swadlincote.
Its blue counterpart will be added to the round next month.
Each unit sees around 50 women a day – adding up to 250 women each week. Women aged between 50 and 70 are invited for screening every three years. If there are concerns over the scan results, they are called into the breast unit for further tests.
Women over the age of 70 can still be screened, but they have to request an appointment.