Work starts on upgrading hospital X-ray facilities

STAFF and patients are set for a boost with work starting this week on upgrading of the X-ray facilities at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has been awarded Welsh Government funds as part of a health board-wide imaging equipment replacement scheme, which will allow for a new dedicated X-ray room to be built.

The new development means that one of the two existing rooms at the hospital will be refurbished with a new superior digital X-ray room which will deliver higher standards of diagnosis.

Following numerous breakdowns of the current X-ray room, this new and improved equipment is welcomed and will help improve X-ray capacity at the hospital.

The new equipment will produce superior image quality of X-rays and at the same time lower radiation doses.

Construction started on Monday, September 5 and will last until November 11, during this time Glangwili will operate with its one remaining X-ray room, meaning some delays for outpatients.

Patients with X-ray appointments will be offered evenings and weekend appointments and some will be offered slots at other health board sites to keep momentum on reducing waiting times.

The team at Glangwili will ensure that emergency patients will be seen with as little delay as possible and that CT, MRI, ultrasound and fluoroscopy appointments are not expected to be affected.

Andrew Carruthers, Hywel Dda’s executive director of operations, said: “This investment from the Welsh Government will be a great benefit to our patients.

“The team at Glangwili are committed to the continuous development of services that we offer as a health board and the new equipment will benefit our patients.

“We are excited for the other three acute sites to have their replacement X-ray room within this financial year.”