DELAYS for patients waiting for full-body scans could soon be over after health bosses confirmed that a mobile scanner will arrive in Bolton in November.

The scanner, which will be based at the Diabetes Centre in Chorley Street, Bolton, was due to arrive in Bolton in July in a bid to cut huge waiting lists. But red tape held it up.

Health chiefs have now reached an agreement as to how it will be funded, and are confident it will be up and running in early November.

Kevin Snee, chief executive of Bolton's Primary Care Trust, said: "The additional capacity will mean that many more patients can receive appropriate diagnostic tests for a range of conditions with a much reduced waiting time."

Earlier this year, Bolton had one of the worst scanning records in the country, with some patients waiting up to a year for an MRI scan.

In May, there were 716 people on the scanning waiting list, but in August a temporary mobile scanner was sited at the Royal Bolton Hospital for five weeks and more than 500 patients were seen.

Waiting lists have now fallen from 12 months to just three. It is hoped the new mobile scanner, which will be in Bolton for a set number of days each week for the next year and will be based in a van, will cut them even further.

The mobile scanner is part of a national fast-track pilot programme and is being funded by independent sector investors.

It will be shared with a site in south Manchester, but Bolton patients will definitely be able to use it several days every week.

The Royal Bolton Hospital has its own MRI scanner, which provides full body scans for people with some cancers, back problems and orthopaedic problems. But because of a lack of cash to pay for radiologists it can only be run part-time.

Just 30 patients are seen every week.