A LIFE-saving scanner which can detect everything from cancer and tumours to inner ear problems has been safely delivered to Worcester's new hospital.

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner had to be unloaded by crane during a delicate operation at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

It's estimated 2,300 scans a year will be carried out on the machine, which looks like a 10ft-wide polo mint.

The £500,000 MRI uses a very strong magnet and radio waves and produces 3D images of the inside of the body which can diagnose a wide range of conditions, including joint pain and breast disease.

"It's very exciting to have this modern scanner available in the new hospital and it will provide an excellent service for local patients," said Dr Umesh Udeshi, consultant radiologist and medical director of clinical support services.

"It will be used mainly for orthopaedic scans, but other important uses are for brain scans and angiograms, which are scans of the blood vessel.

"No X-rays are used and there are no known harmful effects at the strengths of magnetic field used."

John Mortifee, installation project manager of Siemens Healthcare Services, explained why a crane was needed to ease the MRI scanner into place.

"Due to the weight of the magnet, which measures three metres by two metres, and the distance between the road and the window, a 200-tonne crane was needed," he said.

The room in the radiology department includes a radio frequency cabin to protect against interference.

At the moment, patients are served by a mobile MRI scanner, which will continue in Redditch and Kidderminster.