Doctors will be able to diagnose Walsall patients through better quality x-ray images thanks to upgraded equipment installed at the Manor Hospital.

The new, multi-functional Canon Ultimax-I digital x-ray system offers Fluoroscopy screening which enables clinicians to look at real-time imaging of many internal organs, including the digestive, urinary, respiratory, and reproductive systems.

Susan White Fluoroscopy Lead for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said the equipment had been installed within the Imaging department in July 2022.

She said: “This is an exciting development within the Trust that will provide better quality images for diagnosis which means a better experience for our patients as we set them on their treatment pathways.

“Fluoroscopy screening covers patient examinations including barium swallows for adult and paediatric patients which look for and diagnose problems in the upper GI and hysterosalpingograms which look at and investigate fertility problems.  Interventional examinations are also performed – mainly nephrostomies, which create an artificial opening in the kidney to allow urine to be drained.- giving much lower doses of radiation with high quality images.

“Now that the room is multi-functional, we can also offer chest and extremity x-rays too.”

Susan added that Endoscopy was also able to make use of the improvement for its ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) which is a procedure to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas.