A major upgrade to X-ray facilities at a hospital in Cornwall will begin this week, which should eventually benefit both patients and staff.
Staff at Newquay Hospital have said that the new X-ray equipment will allow them to see and treat more patients faster.
The new digital radiography equipment used X-ray-sensitive plates to directly capture data during patient examinations. The data is then transferred to a computer system without the need for a cassette. This will speed up the process and will produce higher-quality images.
Senior radiographer Suzanne Grice-Renault who has been in the role for 40 years, explains why the upgrade will benefit both staff and patients. She said: “The upgrade is much needed.
“We will upgrade the whole room and patients will be seen in a very timely manner. It will take a matter of minutes, rather than ten to 15 minutes per patient.
“At the moment, we get 25 to 30 patients a day coming through here. Other sites where the new equipment has been installed are seeing up to 50 patients. It is a win-win for everybody.”
Newquay’s Minor Injury Unit will remain open throughout the upgrade; however, x-rays will not be available.
The x-ray room at Newquay will close today (Wednesday, January 10) for up to eight weeks while installation work takes place.
Patients are being asked if feel they need an x-ray to visit other minor injury units in Cornwall including Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, St Austell Community Hospital and Bodmin Community Hospital.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here