At the end of 2019 the Government pledged £200m in new funding to help the NHS replace ageing diagnostic imaging equipment, including MRI and CT scanners and mammography systems.
This followed research from the European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR) which indicated that, at the end of 2018, 14% of CT scanners in the UK were 10 years old or over, compared to only 1% at the end of 2011.
And, three years on, the situation is even more critical, especially when you consider that diagnostic imaging technology that has surpassed the 10-year mark is considered obsolete or inadequate for some procedures.
Replacement, or at the very least upgrade, of equipment is therefore becoming essential.
In this special report we look at the evolution of CT since its adoption in the UK in the 1970s, and how innovations such as AI are transforming its potential for the future.