"Scotland’s first total-body scanner becoming operational at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is a game changer for patients and our world leading medical research sector.    

“Funded by the UK Government, this scanner will help save lives by enabling earlier disease detection. It will also provide for a better patient experience and give our experts new insights into drug development.  

“Scotland's life sciences sector is a core strand of the UK Government's 10-year Industrial Strategy launched this week to improve people's lives and grow the economy as part of our Plan for Change." 

Celebrating the launch, Professor Chris Molloy, Chief Executive of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:  

“The national platform we have created allows the combined power of technology and data to be harnessed, attracting industry to test their new treatments here in the UK for the benefit of our patients and our economy. It shows what’s possible when strategic public funding, clinical expertise, industry knowledge and academic excellence come together around a shared national purpose. 

“These revolutionary scanners help save lives and create large-scale capability for radiopharmaceuticals and AI-enabling datasets.” 

Dr Juliana Maynard, Director of Operations and Engagement, NPIP, said:  

“We see the NPIP network as both Critical and Clinical National Infrastructure; a connected nationwide network for data sharing, discovery and innovation we could only dream of a decade ago. 

“Using these total-body PET scanners, we can observe disease in real time, across the entire body and now, throughout the entire country. That’s game-changing for drug discovery and treatment in the UK and, more importantly, for how quickly patients can benefit from it. 

“Researchers will gain access to vastly improved clinical data, not only by tapping into the network for their own trials, but from every study connected to the platform. This will create an unprecedented level of collaboration in imaging, putting the UK on the world map as a centre of excellence.” 

Glenn Wells, Deputy Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UKRI, said:  

"UKRI's Infrastructure Fund plays a pivotal role in enabling researchers and innovators across the UK to access world-class facilities and equipment that drive meaningful advances in healthcare.  

"The National PET Imaging Platform will unite the clinical imaging community across the UK through a network of cutting-edge total body PET scanners. These scanners deliver enhanced speed, diagnostic accuracy, patient comfort, and accessibility. The platform will foster deeper collaboration between academia, industry, and clinical practice, and will support research across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, including those that have been historically underserved, such as endometriosis." 

John Watson, Associate Director for Scotland at the Stroke Association, said:  

“Stroke is a medical emergency, and patients must receive fast treatment and care to give them the best chance of survival and recovery. 1.9 million brain cells are lost every minute after the onset of a stroke – that’s why we say, ‘time is brain’. We warmly welcome innovations like this that could speed up stroke diagnosis. We hope it will ensure the 10,000 people who survive stroke every year in Scotland can live physically and mentally well.” 

Joseph Woollcott, Head of Health Policy, Education and Awareness at Prostate Cancer UK, said:  

“In Scotland, 4264 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, according to the latest data. More than 1 in 3 of these men are diagnosed too late for a cure. So it’s great news that more men in Scotland could now have access to the highest quality scans, enabling better outcomes. 

“It’s important to use both emerging and existing technology to help streamline the way we diagnose prostate cancer, and to improve access to clinical trials. The technology behind these new machines will be extremely exciting if they can be utilised within the prostate cancer pathway, so that men in Scotland can receive vital scans faster and with better quality images, and will be more able to access trials. PET scans are commonly used at the point of recurrence for prostate cancer patients, so ensuring men and their clinicians have accurate information as quickly as possible is crucial.” 

Professor David Newby, University of Edinburgh, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: 

“The NPIP Scotland Total-body PET Facility is a transformative technology that has already started to advance clinical research and patient care, improving our understanding of complex diseases. Through the NPIP network, new collaborative projects will address some of the major unmet health problems that society faces today, such as endometriosis and stroke.” 

Dr David Lewis, University of Glasgow and Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said:  

“Total-Body PET scanners are a quantum leap forward in medical imaging technology, and we are proud to be part of a pioneering partnership between the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and NHS Lothian, jointly managing one of the first of these cutting-edge scanners in the UK. The Scotland Total-Body PET scanner will serve as a catalyst for ground-breaking research and offers a unique window into our understanding of human diseases.” 

To learn more about NPIP, explore collaboration opportunities, or follow project developments, visit www.npip.org.uk.