Frequently Asked Questions

Because it gives your doctor a lot more information about you and your condition than other scanning options.

Traditional imaging of the legs involves plain X-rays, which are two-dimensional (flat). The standard is a view from above and from the side and it is then up to your doctor to estimate how that would look in 3D.

With our scanners, a 3D scan can be taken while you are standing up. This shows any pressure on your joints and gives your doctor a much better picture of what might be wrong. This means they can better plan your treatment and recovery.

It is as safe as a standard set of X-rays. Our scanners use Cone Beam CT (CBCT) to produce 3D images. The radiation dosage is much lower than traditional CT scans and is equivalent to a standard series of X- rays. To give you an idea of the radiation exposure, it is lower than that of a transatlantic flight.

Cone Beam CT (CBCT) uses a concentrated, low-power X-ray beam instead of a fan-shaped, high-output X-ray beam. This results in a lower radiation dosage and means a CBCT is much quicker than traditional “slice” CT. In addition both legs are scanned at the same time, allowing the opposite side to act as a normal comparison without you having to have another set of scans taken (meaning you don’t have any additional radiation exposure).

Yes you can. Unlike a traditional CT scanner you can walk into a PedCAT, LineUP or HiRise scanner. You are not enclosed apart from the portion of the leg or arm that is being scanned.

Yes. Our scanner also has a seat so that you can still benefit from the rapid scan and diagnosis. Your scan won’t show any weight bearing information, but your doctor will still get a useful 3D scan result.

If you are wearing a plaster cast the scan can still be useful for diagnosis without needing to remove it, although often your consultant will ask to have it removed before the scan to enable the best possible images.

A standing CT costs in the region of £500-£650 for a single body part when you have a referral from a registered clinician referrer. For a multi-body part scan the costs are in the region of £750-£1,000. Each hospital will have slightly different charges. If you do not have a referral, you will need this from your consultant before we can book you in for a scan. Access the referral form here.

We do not currently offer scans directly to individuals without a referral from a clinician.

While a scan will not directly harm the baby, we cannot scan patients who are, or might be, pregnant unless their doctor can confirm that the benefits of a scan outweigh the risk. You will need to discuss this with your doctor, and they will have the final decision. In this situation we provide lead gowns to the patient to protect them as much as possible.

Call our booking line on 0800 047 1010 and we can book you a new appointment.

We are always keen to hear your feedback, good or bad. You can ask our radiographers for a feedback form during your appointment. You can also email our registered manager, Julian Tsang at julian.tsang@standingct.com with any feedback. Here’s our How to complain leaflet and our full complaints policy.

Standing CT offers mobile scanning on a sessional basis, giving rapid access to our technology and allowing you, your team and your patients to trial it before deciding on a longer-term commitment.

We work with you to determine your requirements based on your current X-ray and CT volumes and can tailor one or more sessions to your needs. Fees are arranged as a day rate so you don’t have to incur any capital costs. If you’re looking to purchase a scanner, we work with you to build the business case for a capital purchase. Contact us today to discuss our mobile service or purchase a scanner.

Within the NHS, CBCT scans are often treated as X-rays and are self-reported by the referring clinician. This is a decision for your radiology department. For the independent sector, we have a panel of musculoskeletal radiologists with significant experience of using weight-bearing CT in the clinical environment. We can provide reporting or, if preferred, your current MSK radiologists can report the scans. We can also provide training for your radiologists to enable them to gain experience from our team of UK based radiologists.

Our mobile unit is significantly smaller than mobile MRI or CT trailers. We have two mobile designs 1.)  A 3.5 tonne van which measures 6.3m (l) x 2.3m (w) x 3.3m (h) – this is similar in size to a supermarket home delivery van. 2.) a 3.5 tonne trailer which measures 6.9m (l) x 2.5m (w) x 3.2m (h) – this is slightly larger in size than a supermarket home delivery van.

As the unit is small and manoeuvrable we do not need a pad. Our only requirement is that the parking area is level and easily accessible. We can easily use an existing CT/MRI pad if available provided there is a power (13/16 Amp) and PACS connection.

Yes – we are registered with the Care Quality Commission (1-3512290634). Our registered manager is Julian Tsang (julian.tsang@standingct.com).

Yes – ideally, we run off mains power from a 13- or 16-amp socket. If necessary, we can run from the mobile unit’s on-board battery pack for a short period of time.

Yes, we need a connection to your PACS system/internet from a hospital data port.

There are a number of options available:

• We can directly link the scanner to your PACS
• Our cloud based PACS can transfer images via a DICOM interface link
• We can download the images to a USB stick or disks

This is entirely up to you. We have a team of experienced radiographers who are available should you wish to commission a staffed service.

We can also provide an unstaffed service, where your team uses the technology directly. If you commission an unstaffed service, we will provide full training for your radiographers.