The League of Friends
 of Fairford Hospital

League of Friends Update February 2009

An X-ray machine is now available for use in Fairford Hospital. The equipment has been given by the League of Friends of Fairford Hospital and installed by the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and it is being operated by the NHS equivalent in Swindon in a rare example of local partnership.

League of Friends Chairman, David Phillips, cutting the tape

The availability of the new equipment means that in future local people will not have to travel to Cirencester, Cheltenham or Swindon for scans, reducing car and bus journeys. It also means it is now possible for the hospital to host more clinics locally, thereby securing its future.

The facilities now include a fully assisted changing room and ease of access for anyone with a disability. Patients using the facilities at Fairford come from the surrounding rural areas of Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.

David Phillips, chairman of the League of Friends of Fairford Hospital said: "The League is delighted to have been able to fund these new x-ray facilities. This underlines our continuing commitment to the support of health and social services at Fairford Hospital and in the local communities." Sue Dale, general manager for the Cotswolds at NHS Gloucestershire Care Services said: “We are grateful to the League of Friends for their continuing support in helping us provide the best possible facilities for patients at the hospital and within the local community.”

Helen Bourner, director of Business Development and Performance at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership to help provide better services for our patients. The new x-ray equipment is a fantastic example of how we are bringing services closer to patients and expanding our services outside the immediate hospital environment. The continual support from groups in the community, such as the League of Friends, is invaluable.” As well as supporting the hospital building itself, the League is continuing to provide a number of community services, including many that allow people to be treated at home.