HEART disease patients could have their condition diagnosed earlier than ever before as an East End hospital becomes the first in the UK to have a new state-of-the-art chest scanner. The scanner, the first of its kind in Britain which recently arrived a

HEART disease patients could have their condition diagnosed earlier than ever before as an East End hospital becomes the first in the UK to have a new state-of-the-art chest scanner.

The scanner, the first of its kind in Britain which recently arrived at the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green, provides high-definition images of the chest at the speed of half a heart beat.

This allows doctors and researchers to pick up signs of heart disease that may normally be missed with conventional tests.

Patients admitted to hospital with chest pains have always been given an angiogram which often fails to pick up on early signs of the disease.

But Dr Ceri Davies, clinical director of the new Cardiac CT service at the London Chest said: "Thanks to this new machine, we will be able to diagnose people much sooner and potentially prevent the serious consequences of their heart condition."

The Siemens Definition Flash CT, reported to be costing around �1m, has been funded by a �3.8 million award from the National Institute for Health Research.

Queen Mary University and Barts and the London Trust, which runs the London Chest Hospital were recently designated and a Biomedical Research Unit in advanced cardiac imaging.