X-ray rooms open

12:00pm Friday 10th October 2008

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NEW x-ray rooms have opened in Basingstoke hospital that promise to slash waiting times. Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust injected £200,000 as part of a modernisation project.

The new department uses state-of-the-art digital equipment that will halve examination times because radiographers can see the pictures instantly.

And because it operates faster, it reduces the radiation dose each patient receives while being x-rayed. John Beamer, radiology service manager, said: “This new equipment means more patients can be seen and they will not have to wait as long for their appointment in the department.”

All new x-ray equipment links with the Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS), which have replaced traditional x-ray films that needed developing.

It enables staff to view patients’ digital x-rays on computer screens around the hospital.

The upgrade also included redesigning the rooms for younger patients, to make the x-ray experience less intimidating.

The x-ray room decoration has been strongly influenced by paediatric environment research pioneered at Southampton General Hospital. It features open-plan rooms with strong primary colours.

Barbara Butler, operation superintendent, said: “Children are less agitated because of the friendlier environment.”