PRESS RELEASE

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.

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.

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