Bradford people quite rightly gave themselves a huge pat on the back when, three years ago, an MRI scanner was installed at the BRI thanks to their tremendous efforts. A splendid fund-raising campaign, orchestrated by the T&A, had seen £1 million raised to enable the district to acquire its own scanner.

No longer would Bradford people have to go to Leeds to benefit from this important piece of diagnostic equipment. Instead they would be able to use the scanner close to their homes, and within an initial waiting period of a mere ten weeks.

If there was ever any doubt about demand that has been dramatically dispelled. The scanner has become a victim of its own success. Doctors, realising its value, have referred more and more patients to it. The inevitable result is that waiting times have grown and now stand at a staggering 53 weeks for a routine MRI scan.

As the director of radiology for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says, it is crazy to expect people to wait a year. Fortunately that view seems to have been shared by the Yorkshire Cancer Care Network, an NHS organisation set up to improve cancer care in West and North Yorkshire, and now a further scanner is to be provided entirely with Department of Health funding.

If the people of Bradford had not made that massive effort to raise the money for the first scanner the tremendous demand which has led to the provision of this second unit might never have been appreciated. Now even more people can be diagnosed more speedily, and it's largely down to you. Give yourselves another pat on the back.