AN EARLS Colne man was one of the first to use a new £151,000 X-ray machine at Colchester General Hospital.

The sophisticated process to take out the old X-ray machine and to install its replacement took two months.

The project also included upgrading the X-ray room’s electricity supply and lighting and putting in a new floor.

Paul Hudson, radiology service manager, said the new machine had replaced one which was 14 years old.

He said: “It produces higher quality images and uses less radiation than the equipment it has replaced.

“The unit has the latest digital technology combined with features that make it easier to operate.

“X-ray images appear instantly on a computer screen whereas with the older technology it took about two minutes before an image could be viewed.

“It’s much more efficient now we can see the image instantly.”

One of the first patients to benefit was Fred Evans, 62, of Josselin Close, Earls Colne, whose abdomen was X-rayed.

In total, the trust takes about 160,000 X-ray examinations a year. The new unit will take about 15,000.

The trust has ten X-ray machines, including one at Halstead Hospital.