One million more scans to help catch cancer sooner
What was announced
125 more NHS scanners and AI technology are helping deliver a million extra scans each year, supporting earlier cancer diagnosis and faster treatment.
Key points, in the publisher's words
- Patients across England are benefiting from faster cancer diagnoses, after one million more scans were delivered thanks to new scanners and cutting-edge AI technology.
- NHS England data published on Tuesday 3 November shows that, from March 2024 to March 2026, the number of CT and MRI scanners in the NHS has increased by 125, giving doctors greater capacity to diagnose cancer and other serious conditions earlier and get patients into treatment sooner.
- The expansion comes as each month in 2026 so far has set an NHS monthly record for diagnostic activity, with the diagnostic waiting list having fallen in three of the five months since April.
Figures in this announcement
Each line is quoted from the original. Figures are as the publisher stated them on the day.
- “Cancer waiting times are better than last year, and the overall waiting list for elective care is down by over 250,000 since July 2024.”
- “Alongside the expansion in scanning capacity, AI-powered MRI technology is being introduced across the NHS, helping services carry out on average 14% more scans while maintaining image quality.”
- “The new £19.2 million Manchester and Trafford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which officially opened on Thursday 29 October, will further expand access to vital tests and scans, giving patients quicker and more convenient care closer to home.”
- “Most of the new machines added since March 2024 (107 of 125) have gone into community diagnostic centres, which carried out nearly 2.2 million CT and MRI scans in the 12 months up to March 2026 — an extra million compared to the 12 months up to March 2024.”
- “AI acceleration software has already been installed in more than half (54%) of compatible NHS MRI scanners.”
- “A full rollout would enable existing equipment to deliver up to 162,000 more checks per year.”
Check it against the official record
The latest official figures on the subjects this story covers, each with its source and full history:
Who and where
People
- Karin Smyth (MP for Bristol South (Labour)) · more news
UK bodies of power
- Department of Health and Social Care (UK government department) · more news
- NHS England (executive non-departmental public body) · more news
Constituencies of the MPs named: Bristol South.
Where this sits in the 10 levels of power
Topics, as GOV.UK files them: NHS efficiency, Cancer research and treatment.
Receipt
- Original: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/one-million-more-scans-to-help-catch-cancer-sooner
- Published 2026-11-03 00:05:07 UTC
- Read by this site 2026-11-03 00:15:04 UTC from GOV.UK
- Saved copy: receipt 7065, with its SHA-256 fingerprint
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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