PEOPLE thought to be suffering from problems with their bones in West Devon will hopefully get improved access to better diagnostic care, thanks to a generous award from the National Osteoporosis Society. A new mobile scanning unit will be established. working from Plymouth Hospitals to provide a special scan which measures bone density, called a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. It is a simple, painless procedure and is recommended for those considered at high risk of breaking a bone because of osteoporosis. Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has won funding from the osteoporosis society to set up the scanning service both at Derriford Hospital and through a mobile scanning service to benefit those living in more rural communities — it is hoped Tavistock Hospital could be one of the beneficiaries as a point of call for the mobile unit. This will mean that the number of DXA scans performed will increase and the distances travelled by patients to have a scan will be reduced significantly. Currently, only 16% of the number of scans that, in theory, should be required each year for the population, are being carried out. It is anticipated, that with the new scanning service in place, more than 6,000 scans each year will be provided by 2011. This is particularly important because the South West has the oldest population structure of all the regions in England — the rate of hip fracture for people aged over 65 in Devon and Cornwall is more than twice the national average. Staff from Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, working with colleagues from Devon, Cornwall and Plymouth Primary Care Trusts, bid for funding to use the existing mobile scanner belonging to the society. Amanda Nash, a spokeswoman for PHNHS Trust said: 'The commissioners of the Devon Primary Care Trusts and Plymouth Hospitals are still working out exactly where it will go, but hopefully Tavistock Hospital will be one of the places. 'The aim is to take it out to the rural areas as far as possible.'
