Quick and more accessible bone health assessments for patients
Patients at Whipps Cross Hospital are benefiting from faster, more accessible bone-health assessments thanks to the installation of a new DEXA scanner.
The DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scanner, installed in Main Radiology (J8) in June 2026, uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone density and is used to diagnose and monitor osteoporosis, as well as assess a patient's risk of fractures.
Funded through the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA) and gifted to the Trust by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), the scanner has expanded access to bone-density testing for patients across Waltham Forest and surrounding areas.
The new service particularly benefits hospital inpatients, patients with mobility challenges and those who would previously have needed to travel to the Trust's main DEXA facility at Silverthorne Medical Centre.
The Whipps Cross scanning room has been specially designed with a ceiling-mounted hoist, allowing patients with severe mobility issues to be scanned locally rather than travelling to other hospital sites.
The arrival of the scanner has already had a significant impact on capacity. Before its installation, Whipps Cross carried out around 67 DEXA scans each week. Over the last two months, that figure has risen to around 136 scans a week, roughly doubling activity and allowing the service to reduce waiting times by seeing more patients than are being referred.
Demand for DEXA scans remains steady at around 90 referrals a week, but the additional capacity means the service is now able to tackle its backlog while improving access for local patients. Since July, the team has seen approximately 265 more patients than were newly referred to the service.
Accommodating between 17 and 20 patients daily, the scanner provides capacity for up to 100 additional scans a week. Alongside patient care, the scanner is also supporting research activity through ACHA and other research teams.
Patients are referred for DEXA scans by their GP or hospital team when there is a clinical need to assess bone health. This includes people with osteoporosis risk factors such as post-menopausal women, those who have suffered fractures following minor falls, patients taking long-term steroid treatment and people living with conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease and hormone disorders.
The scanner is also used to monitor how well osteoporosis treatments are working.
One of the first patients to benefit from the new scanner was Rachel Franklin, who sought a referral after learning more about bone health following menopause.
Rachel said: "This was my first DEXA scan. I asked my GP for a referral after listening to a podcast about bone health and building stronger bones after menopause. I'd recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my left hip and wanted to understand more about my bone health.
"The whole process was really quick. After the initial phone call, I was offered an appointment the very next day, and I received my results soon afterwards. It was reassuring to get the information I needed so quickly and to know my results came back as good."
The new scanner is helping more local patients receive timely osteoporosis assessments closer to home, while strengthening the Trust's diagnostic capacity and supporting research into healthy ageing.
Devika Ghisayawan, MRI Modality Lead at Whipps Cross, added: "This investment has transformed our ability to provide bone-density scanning for local patients. Not only are we seeing many more people each week, but we're also able to offer a more accessible service for patients who may have previously struggled to travel for their scan. Earlier diagnosis and monitoring of osteoporosis can make a real difference in preventing future fractures and helping people stay healthy and independent."