£1 million investment to reduce waiting times in Southend

Waiting times at an Essex hospital are set to be reduced, following a one-million-pound investment in new and improved specialised Radiology scanning equipment.

Between 160 and 200 patients were affected by the backlog at Southend Hospital, with some having to travel as far as Basildon and Broomfield for treatment.

Elida Barcelos, Senior Radiographer, said: “We were working with equipment that was 21 years old. We're quite lucky that we actually managed to make the most of it of it. But towards the end, the image quality wasn't as great and unfortunately the equipment broke last year.

“Patients have been waiting for examinations for almost a year. Some were only waiting for four to six months because we managed to send them to Basildon or Broomfield. Some of the patients were even sent to London, as the other two trusts didn’t have space or there was only one single radiologist that could do some of the procedures.”

Patients in need of certain diagnostic procedures are now able to use a state-of-the-art fluoroscopy machine at Southend Hospital, which provides more accurate scans and clearer images than older equipment.

It will also deliver a lower radiation dose to those getting treatment.

Elida said: “We’re incredibly excited about our fantastic new area. We can now see more patients which means waiting lists will reduce and people will get their results and treatment more quickly, if they need it.”

The new welcoming area is housed in a refurbished room that has created a more relaxing environment for patients and there’s also a new more convenient dedicated two-bay room next to the procedure room where patients can rest after their scans.

Previously patients needing recovery were taken to a medical day stay unit several floors below, now everything takes place in the same space.

Elida Barcelos said: “It’s given us all a real boost as these improvements are bringing specialised fluoroscopy services that will help our patients and help our staff develop their skills.”

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