The X ray department at Uckfield Community Hospital is now open 5 days a week.
The department, which was previously open 3 days a week, operates from 9am to 4.30pm Monday – Friday.
This means that patients who need an X-ray can get one locally more often, rather than having to travel to another hospital, such as the Eastbourne DGH.
The number of X rays carried out at Uckfield has doubled over the last 10 years and now totals almost 6,000 per year.
Senior Radiographer Linda Kenward says:
"Our new longer opening hours mean that we can give patients a better service, whether they are having X rays as part of an ongoing diagnosis, monitoring a known condition such as Arthritis or chest problem, or as part of emergency care following injury.
We take referrals from all the GPs in the local area, as well as the many Out Patients clinics held at the hospital, plus we look after patients from the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).
Now we are open 5 days a week we can look after more people, close to where they live."
Sister Helen Watts, who is in charge of Uckfield Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit, adds:
"It is great news that more of our patients will be able to undergo X-rays on site when we are treating them.
That was not always possible previously as the X ray department was only open for three days a week so people had to go elsewhere on the days when X ray was closed.
The new opening hours mean that we can provide a more convenient service to local people."
An audit was carried out to find the number of patients who were referred to local Accident & Emergency departments from Uckfield MIU on the days when the X-ray department was closed.
This showed that there was a demand for longer X-ray opening hours at Uckfield.
The hospital’s League of Friends has been very supportive of the X ray department, providing funding for an upgrade to a Computerised Radiology System back in 2006.
This means that the old X ray film store has now been converted into a new ultrasound room, allowing all imaging work to be carried out in the same area.
The League of Friends has also provided a new state of the art ultrasound machine which will help expand the range of services on offer.
