Falmouth Community Hospital to get major x-ray upgrade
A major upgrade to facilities at Falmouth Community Hospital will start this week, with the work expected to take up to 12 weeks.
Staff at 1 of Cornwall's community hospitals say new x-ray equipment will allow them to see more patients and treat them faster.
The new digital radiography equipment uses x-ray-sensitive plates to directly capture data during patient examinations. The data is transferred to a computer system without the need for a cassette. This speeds up the process and produces higher quality images.
Senior Radiographer Suzanne Grice-Renault tells us the wait will be worth it, for staff and patients:
"Like the recent upgrade at Newquay Community Hospital, the revamp in Falmouth 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 10 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."
Important information for patients
Falmouth Minor Injury Unit will remain open throughout the upgrade, however x-rays will not be available. The x-ray room at Falmouth will close from 8am Thursday 2 January. Work to install the new equipment is expected to up to 12 weeks.
Patients who feel they may need an x-ray can visit our minor injury unit at Camborne and Redruth Community Hospital.
Find your nearest minor injury unit and check live waiting and opening times.