A NEW suite with a virtual ceiling to improve patient experience has been installed in the X-ray department at one of Cumbria's major hospitals.

The enhanced equipment has replaced the existing gamma camera with the addition of an integral CT scanner at the Furness General Hospital in Barrow.

This equipment uses functional nuclear medicine imaged fused with the anatomical detail of a CT scan, the first of its type in the Trust.

The new scanner is part of a £1 million revamp of the X-ray department which already has a new x-ray room and a state-of-the-art digital radiography suite.

Waiting rooms, changing cubicles for patients, new lighting and new flooring is also included in the refurbishments which should be completed by Easter.

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Joanne Park, from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), said: “The new equipment will mean it is easier for staff to use; and the quality of images the newer machines are producing will aid accuracy and a quicker diagnosis.

"This is a significant investment from the Trust and shows the commitment to ensuring our patients have access to the latest imaging techniques.

"The virtual ceiling is a great feature that really will improve patient experience. Instead of staring at a blank ceiling they will have a calming view of woodland which will help to ease any anxiety.”

The department saw 86,000 patients at FGH last year who needed radiological examinations.