An investment of more than £35,000 has been made in X-ray equipment at the Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet.

The investment comes at a time when routine operations have resumed at the hospital, which was formerly known as the Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, and as it continues to offer treatment and support to local NHS patients and trusts as part of the regional Covid-19 health response.

It also coincides with World Radiography Day, November 8, which marks the 125th anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen.

The hospital has installed the new equipment to enhance its digital capacity in the area of X-ray. Not only does this improve the quality of the digital X-ray, so aiding diagnosis, it also means a much lower radiation dose to patients.

The equipment makes the process more efficient and quicker, with benefits to patient comfort and experience.

Fiona Nelson, radiology manager at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet, said: "We are delighted that this investment has been made and will help us to further enhance the service we can provide in this department."

Andrew Oakerbee, hospital director, said: "An outstanding patient experience continues to sit at the heart of everything we do, which is why we are operating under the mantra of 'Access to Excellence'.

"This means we will always invest in the best people, techniques, facilities and equipment while ensuring that patients are aware of and act on their right to choose where they are treated. Our latest investment is an excellent example of this."

Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet is the first hospital of its kind to be rated as Outstanding across the board by the Care Quality Commission.

The national Patient Reported Outcome Measures reported by the Health and Social Care Information Centre recently identified the hospital as top in the country for hip replacements, and in the top five per cent for knee replacements.

Patients can choose to be treated at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet via the NHS, self-pay or private medical insurance.