AN appeal is being launched to raise £150,000 for a magnetic resonance imaging scanner - known as an MRI - for Harrogate District Hospital.

The hospital has been visited by a mobile MRI scanner since 1997, but the permanent unit will ensure increased capacity for patients, more flexibility to meet patient needs, and a reduction in appointment waiting times.

The unit is expected to be operational by next summer at a cost expected to be in the region of £1.6m.

More than £1m is being funded by the Department of Health, while Harrogate Healthcare NHS Trust is providing £450,000.

A further £150,000 must be raised to fund the unit, and an appeal is being launched, led by Harrogate Hospital and Community Friends along with The League of Friends of Ripon Hospital.

MRI uses magnetic fields to produce high-quality, cross sectional images. The patient is placed in a strong magnetic field and a detailed image produced. "The new MRI scanner will be a great service for people in the Harrogate district as at a stroke, we will be able to offer many more appointments for this superb facility," said the chief executive of the trust, Mike Scott.

"As well as benefiting cancer patients, the scanner will be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions including orthopaedic care and brain scanning."

For details about the MRI Scanner Unit Appeal, or about making a donation, contact Harrogate District Hospital, PO Box 295, Harrogate HG2 7UG.