News via RSS
Sign up to our newsletter
Business and economy
Children and young people
Culture and sport
Education and skills
Environment and countryside
Equality and diversity
Health and social care
Housing and community
Improving public services
International
Local government
Older people
Planning
Social justice
Statistics
Sustainable development
Tourism
Transport
Welsh language
Closing soon (2)
Recently Added (10)
Health Minister Edwina Hart will today [Monday, 19 November] officially open the new state-of-the-art MRI scanner suite that will mean patients will no longer have to take a 46-mile round trip to Carmarthen for this diagnostic test.
This investment is on top of more than £8million already announced to improve the Accident and Emergency centre.
These improvements are in line with the aims of Designed for Life, the Assembly Government’s 10-year strategy for the health service in Wales.
The MRI suite will increase the number of scans carried out for local patients to 2,000 per year.
Edwina Hart said:
Our aim is to provide as many services as close to the patient as possible. This extra investment in further improving services clearly demonstrates my commitment to ensuring a long-term future for Withybush Hospital.
Until now, patients have had to travel to the private Werndale Hospital near Carmarthen to have an MRI scan. Having a dedicated unit in Pembrokeshire will help to reduce waiting times for these important scans enabling patients to get the treatment they need sooner which will ultimately improve their health and quality of life.
This investment will enable the Trust to speed up treatment, reduce the backlog in scans and increase the number of scans carried out every year.
Work is also well underway on the improvements to the Accident and Emergency centre which will greatly improve the care on offer to patients locally.More than £8million of Welsh Assembly Government funding is being investment in this development.
This is on top of investment in the new Tenby and South Pembrokeshire Community Hospitals which will relieve pressure on Withybush Hospital and provide out-patient, minor injuries and day care and community services.
Chairman of Pembrokeshire & Derwen NHS Trust Mrs Lynette George said:
The opening of this new MRI scanner has been a landmark day for healthcare in Pembrokeshire and already, patients are beginning to reap the benefits of receiving such a vital service much closer to home.
Together with the planned Accident and Emergency centre at Withybush Hospital plus an ongoing multi-million pound improvement plan aimed at further enhancing local services and creating far more single en-suite rooms, it represents a significant investment in the future of healthcare in Pembrokeshire.
Notes:
Health Minister Edwina Hart officially opened the MRI scanner suite at Withybush Hospital at 10.45am on Monday, 19 November.
19th November 2007
