The NHS in England has added 125 CT and MRI scanners since March 2024, helping it deliver around a million extra scans a year, according to figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 November 2026.

The figures cover the two years to March 2026. Most of the new machines went into community diagnostic centres rather than hospitals: 107 of the 125 scanners were installed in the centres, which carried out nearly 2.2 million CT and MRI scans in the 12 months to March 2026, about a million more than in the 12 months to March 2024.

CT and MRI scans help doctors diagnose cancers including lung, brain, breast and prostate cancer. Finding cancer earlier generally leaves more treatment options open, so extra scanning capacity is aimed at getting patients tested and treated sooner.

Artificial intelligence software is also speeding up MRI scans. The acceleration software is now installed on 54 per cent of compatible NHS MRI scanners, and services using it carry out on average 14 per cent more scans, the government said. Every NHS trust will be given the chance to upgrade its compatible MRI scanners by 2029, and a full rollout could allow existing equipment to deliver up to 162,000 more checks a year.

A new example of the community approach is the £19.2 million Manchester and Trafford Community Diagnostic Centre, which opened on 29 October and brings tests closer to where patients live. Health minister Karin Smyth said expanding capacity and using new technology would help more people get the tests and care they need.

The government also reported that each month in 2026 so far has set an NHS monthly record for diagnostic activity, and the overall waiting list for elective care is down by more than 250,000 since July 2024.