Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust awarded funding for new bone density scanner at Newark Hospital

A new scanner which can assess the risk of thin bones and to diagnose osteoporosis is due to be installed at Newark Hospital.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals were awarded funding in excess of £240,000, from NHS England for the DEXA scanner, which uses x-ray to assess bone density.

The new scanner at Newark Hospital, which will boost the service currently provided by one existing scanner at Mansfield Community Hospital, should be operational by September 2025.

Dr Simon Roe, chief medical officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “This project reinforces our commitment to deliver outstanding healthcare for our patients and communities and helps us to continue improving local health and care services. Osteoporosis affects over two million adults in the UK.

“This new scanner will increase the capacity we can offer, allowing for an additional 360 scans per month which will help to reduce the time patients have to wait to access their diagnostic tests, increasing the speed and efficiency of the care that we provide for our patients.”

The Royal Osteoporosis Society has recommended that there should be one DEXA scanner per 100,000 population, and Sherwood Forest Hospitals serves a population of over 350,000.

Between April 2023 and November 2024, the trust received a total of 7,910 referrals for DEXA scans, and referral numbers are increasing by approximately 8% year on year.

From September, patients will be able to receive their appointment in Newark and Mansfield, whichever is nearer for them.