Derriford's advanced scanner should reduce waiting times to two weeks

One patient waiting for cancer tests says he faces a two-month delay because two of the three scanners at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital are out of action.

Computerised tomography (CT) scans use X-rays to look at soft tissue and diagnose a range of illnesses.

The hospital says staff are working overtime to reduce the delays.

You don't know whether you're going to live or die or whether to make plans for the future Brian Spring

Brian Spring, from Polperro in Cornwall, had bowel cancer 18 years ago, but recovered after surgery.

Four weeks ago, Mr Spring's GP urgently referred him to a consultant after a dramatic weight loss and he was told the cancer may have returned.

Mr Spring expected to receive an appointment for a CT scan at Derriford within a few days and was shocked when he was told he would have to wait about eight weeks for diagnosis, because two of the scanners were not working.

He said: "You actually put your life on hold and you don't know whether you're going to live or die or whether to make plans for the future.

"It's not only for me, it must be the same for all the other poor patients waiting for the same scan.

"The sooner it's diagnosed, the quicker your chances are of surgery and recovery."

Repairs 'uneconomic'

A spokesperson for Plymouth Hospitals Trust said they sympathised with Mr Spring's anxiety and diagnostic consultants are working with his consultant to see if any other investigations might be beneficial.

The Trust said one of its three scanners broke just after Christmas and it was uneconomic to repair it as it was due to be replaced by a state-of-the-art machine in May. A second scanner had been out of order for a week.

The trust says in order to see as many patients as possible, staff are working overtime.

It says the arrival of the new advanced scanner should reduce the wait for an urgent examination to just two weeks.