Falmouth Community Hospital’s x-ray reopens after upgrade
New x-ray equipment at Falmouth Community Hospital is up and running! The newly installed equipment will allow the local team to see more patients and treat them faster.
Earlier this year, the department shut to allow the Trust to replace the old x-ray with new digital x-ray machine. The Trust also refurbished the treatment area. In total the works cost £473,000.
The new equipment captures higher quality images onto x-ray-sensitive plates and transfers them straight to a computer without the need for a cassette. This saves a lot of time, makes the x-ray process faster and uses less radiation.
Specialists from the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust take x-rays in most of Cornwall's community hospitals. Patrick McDermott is X-ray Team Lead for Cornwall. He explains why a few weeks without any x-ray facilities in the town was worth it.
"The revamp of the x-ray equipment and room in Falmouth Community Hospital was much needed.
"Now we have a new digital machine we will be able to scan patients in a few minutes instead of the 10 to 15-minutes it used to take. Based on the numbers of patients we see in other areas; the digital x-ray means we will be able to see significantly more patients a day, cutting down the waiting lists."
Falmouth Community Hospital is the fifth diagnostic facility upgraded by the Trust in the last 2 years. It is a further example of investment by the Trust into its services for the benefit of local people. The Trust's approach is in line with the recommendation of the Darzi Review, which aims to see more services moved into local communities and away from main hospital settings.
Local x-ray services sit alongside one of the Trust's minor injury units.