Patients needing nuclear medicine treatment in Kent are facing delays following a worldwide shortage of an isotope used in hospital tests.

The shortage of molybdenum has been caused by the unexpected shutdown of an isotope reactor in Europe. The problem has been compounded by three out of four other reactors also being closed for maintenance.

Although the other reactor has stepped up production, there is expected to be a shortage in delivery of this isotope for up to six weeks.

In a statement, the Medway Primary Care Trust said: "The nuclear medicine department will be using alternative isotopes where possible but will, unfortunately, have to reduce the number of scans that can be performed each day.

"Cases will be prioritised by clinical need by the nuclear medicine team."

At Maidstone Hospital the Nuclear Medicine department is working at 35 percent of its normal capacity.

A trust spokesman said: "We are therefore prioritising Nuclear Medicine scans for the time being to only those patients with potentially life threatening conditions."

Nuclear medicine was first used on patients more than 60 years ago and can be used in both imaging and therapy.

In nuclear imaging small amounts of radioactive materials are fired directly into the body enabling cameras to pick up the materials and create pictures of organ function as well as their structure - because of that it makes it possible to get earlier diagnosis.

In nuclear therapy those radioactive materials are fired directly into an organ and can be used to treat thyroid cancer, lymphoma, cancer, joint pain and arthritis.