Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, has secured upgrades to the x-ray facilities at Withernsea Community Hospital, which have the potential to deliver an extra 520 x-ray appointments in the town each year.
A series of improvements have been introduced to increase the capacity and frequency of x-rays being conducted at the hospital. In May an additional support worker was introduced to assist patients and ensure they are prepared for their appointment. In August, walk-in slots were introduced which allows the GP to send patients for urgent chest x-rays without needing to book. Moreover, the x-ray machine used at the hospital has been digitally upgraded which makes processing the x-rays more efficient.
Taken together, the current average daily examinations taking place at the hospital has increased from 25 a week to 35 a week; the equivalent of 520 extra x-ray appointments for people in Withernsea every year
These improvements stem from Graham’s visit to Withernsea Community Hospital last October, accompanied by South East Holderness Councillors Lyn Healing and Sean McMaster, where they raised concerns about the under-utilisation of the X-Ray Department. Graham stressed the importance of people in Withernsea having the examinations they need close to home as soon as possible following referral, and since then he has had several meetings and updates with local NHS representatives to discuss how this can be achieved.
As a result the number of possible x-rays taking place in the town each year has increased by 40%, allowing local people to swap their 4 hour round bus trip to Hull for a 10 minute walk to the hospital.
Graham Stuart commented: “People in Withernsea have an excellent hospital on their doorstep where they should be able to go for quick and convenient appointments. That’s why I’ve been working closely with the Integrated Care Board to deliver additional x-ray appointments and I’m delighted with the progress that’s been made. This will mean people can go to shopping, pop in to the hospital for an x-ray and head off to lunch – which is as simple as it should be.”
South East Holderness Councillors Lyn Healing and Sean McMaster said, "This is very positive news, both Cllr. Healing and myself have been working with Graham for some time to get improve access healthcare in Withernsea. This is a great step in the right direction.”
