New x-ray machines improve patient care and experience at Royal Stoke

The first of seven new x-ray machines have been installed at University Hospitals of North Midlands improving the care and experience of patients at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Two cutting-edge Siemens Ezio X Breeze machines are now fully operational after replacing older models that were installed when the hospital was built in 2014.

It’s anticipated that each new machine in the Royal Stoke’s imaging department will carry out around 250,000 x-rays on patients from across UHNM each year.

Alison Jarvie, Superintendent Radiographer at UHNM, said: “These are the bread and butter of UHNM’s imaging department and the sort of x-ray machines that we would use for chest x-rays, ward x-rays and GP requests so they get a lot of use each year. These latest models emit a lower dose of radiation whilst providing a clearer, quicker image so they are better for our patients. From a staff perspective they are also ergonomically better too, are safer to use and better from a manual handling perspective.”

The new x-ray machines are also improving capacity and speeding up patient flow at Royal Stoke.

Alison added: “We’re able to do full-spinal x-rays now, which is a benefit to our musculoskeletal patients who would previously had to go to to the hospital’s Fracture Clinic. Having the extra capacity to do these here in the imaging department means a better, quicker experience for patients who are not having to be transported around the hospital site and are not putting pressures on other departments.”

David Winter, Commercial Development Manager at UHNM said: “These are the first two major systems we’ve installed since the pandemic and I’m delighted that thanks to the collaborative working between UHNM’s Estates team, Vercity Group, who manage the main site and our medical equipment partner Siemens, we were able to complete the project on time and on budget