Newquay Community Hospital has been given a boost following the announcement it is to get a major x-ray upgrade.

Staff say the new x-ray equipment will allow them to see more patients and treat them faster.

The major upgrade to the facilities at Newquay Community Hospital will start this week, with the work expected to take up to eight weeks.

The new digital radiography equipment uses x-ray–sensitive plates to directly capture data during patient examinations.

The data is transferred to a computer system without the need for a cassette, which speeds up the process and produces higher quality images.

Senior Radiographer Suzanne Grice-Renault has been doing the job for 40 years.

She said: "The upgrade is much needed. 

“We will upgrade the whole room and patients will be seen in a very timely manner. 

“It will take a matter of minutes, rather than 10 to 15 minutes per patient.

"At the moment, we get 25 to 30 patients a day coming through here.

"Other sites where the new equipment has been installed are seeing up to 50 patients. It is a win-win for everybody."

Newquay Minor Injury Unit will remain open throughout the upgrade, however x-rays will not be available.

The x-ray room at Newquay closed today (Wednesday, January10) and work to install the new equipment is expected to take up to eight weeks.

Patients who feel they may need an X-ray can visit a nearby minor injury unit, which include Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, St Austell Community Hospital and Bodmin Community Hospital.

Please visit the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust website to find your nearest minor injury unit and check live waiting and opening times.