Technology hoped to revolutionise prostate cancer diagnosis has been "showcased" at Epsom Hospital for a training day ahead of a bold new programme.

The Arietta ultrasound and fusion system, made by Hitachi Medical Systems, will allow men to have an MRI scan, get their results and have a biopsy on the same day - it currently takes six weeks for a diagnosis.

It will be used in the Rapid (Rapid assessment prostate imaging and diagnosis) programme, which is to take place at Epsom, St George's and Imperial hospitals.

Speaking when the programme was announced, Professor Hashim Ahmed, chairman of NHS England’s clinical expert group for prostate cancer, said: “The NHS is now leading the way in ensuring all men get to benefit from this innovation.

"Fast access to a high-quality prostate MRI allows many men to avoid invasive biopsies, as well as allowing precision biopsy in those men requiring it to find high-risk tumours much earlier.”