NEW MRI SCANNER MEANS LESS TRAVEL FOR CAERPHILLY PATIENTS

A new MRI scanner at Ystrad Mynach Hospital means that patients in Caerphilly no longer have to travel outside the borough for routine scans.

Aneurin Bevan Health Board has invested £1.4million into the scanner and purpose built suite, which means that patients no longer have to take the 30 or so mile round trip to Royal Gwent or Nevill Hall hospitals for the diagnostic test.

The investment means that the suite will be able to carry out scans for around 5,200 patients a year.

Marilyn Williams, radiology directorate manager at Aneurin Bevan Health Board, said: “We’re committed to providing as many services as close to patients as possible in line with the aims of Designed for Life, the Welsh Assembly Government’s 10-year strategy for the health service in Wales.

“Patients now have the choice of opting for a routine scan locally at Ystrad Mynach Hospital instead of travelling to Newport or Abergavenny, which means that waiting times for scans will ultimately reduce and patients can get the treatment they need sooner. Patients are already starting to benefit from being able to receive this service closer to home.”

The investment into the scanner is part of a multi-million pound improvement plan aimed at enhancing the future of healthcare in Caerphilly, which includes the building of the new 269-bed hospital for the borough – Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr. The scanner will be transferred across the road to Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr when it opens at the end of 2011.