St Mary's Treatment Centre ready to unveil £660,000 x-ray machine

St Mary’s Treatment Centre in Milton has invested £660,000 for the new digital X-ray unit and accompanying software which can instantly send images to the clinician.

The more efficient way of working means patients have an X-ray and can be told the results within seconds.

Since being introduced four weeks ago, the machine has halved the times patients are having to wait.

MIU service manager and diagnostic imaging manager Paul Hayllar said: ‘This is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment.

‘The images we get from it are of a better quality which enhances the diagnostic level.

‘But the biggest improvement is in patient waiting times. They have gone from an average of two hours to just one hour.

‘Previously once we did the exposure, we would have to take the cassettes out of the room to process them and then look at the image.

‘But now, the images get sent to the screen in the same room in less than a second.

‘It is making the service a lot more efficient.’

As well as installing the two machines at St Mary’s Treatment Centre, Care UK - which runs the centre - has also had one installed at their Havant site at the Oak Park Community Clinic, in Lavant Drive.

The two at St Mary’s will be officially unveiled on June 17 as part of the hospital’s open day. Falklands War veteran, author and campaigner Simon Weston will open the new X-ray rooms.

Mr Hayllar added: ‘This is a big investment for the patients and while it does make working more efficient for the clinician, it significantly improves the patient experience.

‘This is the sort of equipment that a good service should be moving towards to install.

‘The two here and in Havant are the only ones for Care UK in the area.’