MORE than £300,000 has been invested in a new breast cancer screening equipment in Teesside.

Nuffield Health Tees Hospital, in Norton, Stockton, will be able to offer the service to both its private patients and to referred NHS patients.

The new £140,000 mammogram equipment, along with a new ultrasound machine, uses soft paddles, making the process more comfortable for patients, as well as providing a quicker test and a better diagnosis.

Radiology manager Nicola Gregson-Maidwell said: “This new equipment will make a huge difference to the experience patients have at what can be an incredibly worrying time in their lives.”

"The images we get are incredibly clear and we can see them on-the-spot so we can be with the patient all of the time.

"There’s no leaving the room for a few minutes to collect the results, giving them an anxious wait."

As well as the mammography equipment, Nuffield Tees has also purchased a new CT scanner, which can capture high-quality 3D images of internal organs in seconds.

The new investment comes on the back of two new appointments at the hospital.

Former biomedical scientist Lesley Lock has taken on the role of hospital director while Daniel Cook is the site’s new head of sales and services.