HEALTH facilities in a Suffolk town have received a boost after a state-of-the-art �130,000 x-ray machine was installed in a cottage hospital.

Dave Gooderham

HEALTH facilities in a Suffolk town have received a boost after a state-of-the-art �130,000 x-ray machine was installed in a cottage hospital.

Patients at St Leonard's Hospital in Sudbury are now benefitting from the new digital facility which replaced a run-down film machine which broke down towards the end of last year.

The machine, installed by West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, allows clinicians to share images quickly using computer technology with staff in Bury St Edmunds able to view x-rays as soon as they have been taken at St Leonard's.

Welcoming the news, Peter Clifford, chairman of action group Sudbury WATCH, said: “We are very pleased with the way West Suffolk Hospital, in particular, has handled this situation.

“The hospital has come up with a creative solution and brought the x-ray facilities to St Leonard's on schedule. This is very important as the old x-ray machine could not be used on children and this will stop people travelling to Bury which they had to do over the last few months.”

Health bosses said the new digital equipment would bring added convenience to people living in the Sudbury area by providing an important service closer to their homes.

Nigel Beeton, imaging services manager at West Suffolk Hospital, said: “This important modernisation work has significant improved the service available at St Leonard's, using state-of-the-art equipment to ensure patients can be x-rayed quickly and conveniently.

“This new system means clinicians will get the results of x-rays much more quickly, speeding up diagnosis. It also gives patients a better choice of where they go for routine x-rays, meaning fewer people will need to travel to West Suffolk Hospital.”

Dr Rakesh Raja, GP at Sudbury's Hardwicke House and a member of the Sudbury Local Implementation Group, added: “This will make a big difference to our diagnostic services. It is very good news for the residents of Sudbury.”

The new facilities, which will operate from Monday to Friday, will remain at St Leonard's until a new healthcare hub is built in the town.