New fluoroscopy equipment is now in use at Stepping Hill Hospital’s radiography department, and providing an enhanced imaging service for patients.

Fluoroscopy is a medical imaging procedure that uses several pulses (brief bursts) of an X-ray beam to show internal organs and tissues moving in real time. Standard X-rays are like photographs; fluoroscopy is more like a video.

At Stepping Hill Hospital, radiographers and radiologists use fluoroscopy for patients with a number of conditions, such as urinary tract infections and joint problems. Working with the Speech and Language Team, they also use it diagnose for the language disorder aphasia.

The new fluoroscopy equipment uses the latest technology to provide improved and more accurate image quality. Digital imaging requires less maintenance than the old film or cassette methods,  and reduces the time taken for examination, making the process easier for both staff and patients.

It also minimises the dosage of x-ray radiation the patient is exposed to during these examinations, meaning the procedure is now safer too. The equipment has been installed at a cost of around £350,000.

Stuart Cooper, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Directorate Manager for Radiology  said  “This new fluoroscopy equipment uses the latest technology to provide the best quality of imagery you can have, and we’re really pleased that its now in place. It will help us to provide swifter and safer diagnostics for many thousands of patients in the years to come.”