X-ray machine return gets backing of the Health Secretary

Hancock signals support

HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock has signalled his support for bringing back x-ray services to Hinckley.

The town’s only facility, at Hinckley and District Hospital in Mount Road, closed in September as the 27-year-old kit was deemed unsafe to use, forcing patients to travel to Glenfield or Coalville for their scans.

Dr Luke Evans, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Bosworth and himself a GP, raised the issue with Cabinet ministers after concerns from patients and calls from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to bring back the service.

Mr Hancock said: “I am grateful to Luke for bringing this to my attention. We want hospitals and health hubs right across the country to have the best, stateof-the-art equipment possible, to improve services for patients and support the work of our NHS staff on the frontline.

“I was deeply impressed by Luke’s determination and his plans to improve health services in Hinckley, and I look forward to working with him in future on this important campaign.”

Helen Mather, director of LLR (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland) Alliance, said the outdated machines were “endangering the staff from a musculoskeletal point of view”.

She told a health scrutiny committee at Leicestershire County Council that they had tried to keep the unit going until the Hinckley Health Centre is kitted out with an x-ray unit, importing kit from around the world to sustain the service.

The health centre, which neighbours the hospital, is set to be refurbished with an x-ray/ultrasound department as part of an £8 million revamp of health services in the town.

Dr Evans said: “Clearly, the closure of the x-ray department is a blow for patients from Hinckley and surrounding villages and puts further pressure on the other areas who have to pick up the extra load.

“I am keen to find a solution and having discussed this with the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group), I wanted to raise the issue with the Secretary of State at the earliest opportunity to get something done as a priority.

“I was pleased that Matt Hancock was keen to hear about the difficulties faced and has said he would look into what he could do to help.

“By working together with the Department of Health and the CCG, I hope that normal X-ray services can be resumed as soon as possible.”

Lib Dem borough councillor Michael Mullaney recently launched a petition calling for the return