The government has announced £55 million for a new medical imaging programme to boost the treatment and diagnosis of cancer.

The funding is part of a pot of £150 million which will support three key projects across healthcare, clean energy, and the development of state-of-the-art materials.

The investment is part of UKRI’s record £38 billion funding settlement, which will specifically target curiosity-driven research, R&D addressing government priorities, and support for innovative companies to start, scale and stay in the UK.

The medical imaging programme will create ‘Centres of Imaging Excellence’ in England, Scotland and Wales, bringing together the latest scanning technology with clinical expertise to unlock new insights into how diseases develop and why some infections resist drugs.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Britain has world-class researchers and a proud history of turning insight and ideas into innovation. Our job is to make sure those ideas don’t just stay in the lab, but become the treatments, technologies and products that improve lives in hospitals, homes and communities across the country.

"Government investment in projects like these - from helping to spot diseases earlier and developing new cancer therapies to taking advantage of our coastline to power the nation - will make a real difference to people and spark the economic growth hardworking communities deserve.

"This represents British research at its best - bringing together ideas, expertise, and technical know-how and turning it into impact."

Dr Zubir Ahmed, Health Innovation Minister, said: "After 20 years of frontline NHS experience, I know how vital it is that cancer is caught early to give patients a fighting chance.

"Cutting edge research like this could save lives by giving patients faster diagnoses and individually-tailored treatments.

"This is another step on our journey to shift our NHS from analogue to digital, as part of our 10 Year Health Plan."