An appeal has been launched to raise £550,000 for a new high-tech scanner at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, to speed up the diagnosis of diseases like cancer.

Money raised through the campaign, which is being run by the hospital’s charity, will be used to buy a new gamma scanner with CT scanning technology for the nuclear medicine department at the hospital.

It will enable more than 2,000 patients each year to have advanced scans and revolutionise how they are diagnosed and treated.

Over the next 10 years, cancer, heart, urology and many other patients are expected to benefit from the scanner, which will show how the body and its organs function, as well as producing images of inside the body by combining the technology of both a gamma scanner and CT in a single scan.

This will reduce the number of scans a patient might need and speed up diagnosis and treatment time. It will also reduce invasive procedures.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, which runs the hospital, is urging the community, businesses and fundraising groups to get behind the appeal in any way they can.

Nuclear medicine specialist at the trust, Robert Bradley, said: “Our current gamma scanner is an integral piece of hospital equipment and has helped to diagnose cancer and other illnesses in more than 15,000 people over the past 10 years.

“However, it is time to move with the times and bring new technology to the hospital that can benefit even more people.

“As I’m sure most people can appreciate, the cost of replacing such an important piece of equipment is a big investment and so we need the help of as many people as possible – this is their opportunity to contribute to the future of nuclear medicine at their local hospital.

“One of the benefits of the new gamma camera is that it will also include a CT scanning function so patients can have two different scans at the same time, cutting down on the number of hospital appointments and scans needed, and also enabling us to scan more patients.”

Consultant radiologist at the trust, Dr Susan Geary, added: “The fusion of the functional data with the high-definition CT imaging allows me to report my findings with much greater accuracy than ever before.

“This is particularly true when imaging the bones, such as when looking for spread of breast or prostate cancer, or looking for evidence of heart disease — two of the most common types of scan that we do.

“It’s vital that we have access to the very latest technology to give our patients the best service.”

John MacDonald, trust chairman, said: “As a community we are very lucky to have such a modern hospital offering modern services, such as nuclear medicine, on our doorstep. It’s vital that we continue to offer the most advanced care available as local people deserve high-quality healthcare. That is why we are asking for help — we know that the scanner will benefit the community for years to come.

“Our staff and volunteers are already working hard to raise funds and come up with new ideas. However, we need the support of the public too and we would be grateful if the community could also get behind us.”

It is hoped the new scanner will be working by summer 2019.

Donations to the appeal can be made by texting 70070 and quoting SFHC18 to donate £5 or £10, online at JustGiving (www.justgiving.com/sherwoodforest) or by cash or cheque at the Community Hub in the entrance of King’s Mill Hospital. Cheques should be made payable to Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity.