A radiologist who has worked in Somerset since 1996 has been given a national role in a health care group which has treated local NHS patients since 2005.

Fiona Nelson has been appointed diagnostic imaging lead at Practice Plus Group (formerly Care UK Healthcare).

She has been radiology manager at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet (formerly Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre) since 2015, since when she has been part of the team which saw the hospital achieve ISO 9001 accreditation and become the first surgical service to achieve Outstanding in all five key lines of enquiry from the CQC.

In addition she has restructured the hospital's radiology service to achieve performance and financial efficiencies, and she has overseen the introduction of new equipment representing an investment of more than £1 million.

Fiona qualified as a radiographer in 1988, taking up her first clinical post at York General Hospital in that year. She has pursued continual professional development throughout her career.

She will be joined on the Practice Plus Group senior radiography team by Dr Katerina Tsokova, who will be the team's clinical director and who is a consultant radiologist at sister hospital Practice Plus Group Hospital Emersons Green in Bristol.

Fiona and Katerina will be responsible for the development and oversight of Practice Plus Group's diagnostic imaging services from its six hospitals, three surgical centres and two diagnostics services across the country.

Andrew Oakerbee, hospital director at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet, said: "We are delighted that Fiona has been appointed to her new role.

"Her impact as radiology manager here has transformed our service and made it a real asset for patients in the area."

News of Fiona's appointment comes hard on the heels of that of a £35,000 investment which has been made in X-ray equipment at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet.

The new equipment enhances the hospital's 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.