Ahead of the half-term (Monday 17 February to Friday 21 February) holiday people are reminded that the X-ray department will continue to open additional hours until the end of March 2020.

Emma Spouse, diagnostic imaging lead at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Since the additional service launched 349 patients have been X-rayed at the St Austell MIU, which is between 12 and 13 people a day.”

Figures also showed that from that number on average between 3 and 3 people or 75 patients across 28 evenings had attended the X-ray department at St Austell’s MIU in January.

She added “We opened the X-ray department at St Austell for longer to take some of the pressure away from the Royal Cornwall hospital, Treliske emergency department at its busiest time of day, which is usually early evening.

“We’re delighted with the way in which people have used the service and we hope that they will continue to use the MIU at St Austell Hospital until 8pm, seven days a week until the end of March.”

New X-ray equipment was installed in St Austell X-ray department in 2019 and provides the latest, rapid digital imaging technology.

View the latest emergency department and minor injury unit waiting times.