Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust awarded funding for new Bone Density (DEXA) Scanner at Newark Hospital
Posted Friday, March 21, 2025 1:49 PM
A new bone density or DEXA Scanner that uses x-ray to assess the risk of thin bones and to diagnose osteoporosis, is due to be installed at Newark Hospital, after Sherwood Forest Hospitals were awarded funding in excess of £240,000, from NHS England.
The number of new referrals into the DEXA service has increased, with an average of 100 per week being received, reflecting our aging population. Between April 2023 and November 2024, Sherwood Forest Hospitals received a total of 7,910 referrals for DEXA scans, and this is increasing by approximately 8% year on year.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals covers a large geographical area with many patients as far afield as Lincolnshire and Leicestershire opting to choose Sherwood Forest Hospitals as their preferred healthcare provider. It was recommended by the Royal Osteoporosis Society (January 2024) that there should be one DEXA scanner per 100,000 population; SFH serves a population of over 350,000 and prior to the successful funding bid, had one scanner located at the Mansfield Community Hospital site.
The new scanner at Newark Hospital, which should be operational by September 2025, will significantly enhance the service we can provide to our patients, allowing them to receive their diagnostic scan at a location closer to home, reducing the need for patients to travel as well as reducing the costs they incur. Currently all patients, many of whom have limited mobility have to travel to Mansfield Community Hospital. From September, patients will be able to receive their appointment in Newark and Mansfield, whichever is nearer for them.
Dr Simon Roe, Chief Medical Officer, 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."
