- 30 September 2019
- 3 min read
£200m pledged by Government to pay for new NHS cancer scanners
SubscribeBoris Johnson has announced a £200 million cash injection to replace MRI machines, CT scanners and breast screening equipment.

300 diagnostic machines pledged
The Prime Minister is pledging an overhaul to cancer screening, with the funding providing 300 diagnostic machines in hospitals across England.
Mr Johnson is set to make the latest NHS spending pledge during a visit to a hospital on Friday, as he continues to seeks to get an early general election to break the Brexit deadlock.
However, Cancer Research UK warned that staffing shortages in the NHS need rectifying as a priority, and Labour said the money falls short of what is needed to address years of funding cuts.
Ahead of the visit, the PM said: “These new scanners will lead to quicker diagnosis, more screenings, and improved care for patients, giving brilliant NHS staff the tools they need to further boost survival rates.
“It’s my priority to make sure our NHS gets every penny it needs to provide the very best care – wherever you live, and whatever your condition.”
Earlier intervention
The Department of Health said the machines, to go to more than 80 trusts, will improve efficiency and improve patient safety by delivering lower radiation levels.
Improved reliability is also expected, meaning fewer cancellations and better use of staff time.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I want to see the way we fight cancer in the NHS transformed, so we can confront this cruel disease with the best facilities to give our family, friends and colleagues the greatest chance.
“I’m determined to get cutting-edge equipment into hospitals across the country so that clinical staff are equipped with the best technology available for patients.”
Cancer Research UK welcomed the money as a necessary boost for the NHS’s “creaking equipment”, but said “bolder action” and increased staffing are needed.

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