Hospitals across Wales are to be given a share of almost £33m to buy new equipment and improve patient facilities, Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced.

New diagnostic equipment such as an MRI scanner, x-ray and endoscopy machines will be bought with the money along with providing teleconferencing equipment to link more hospitals across Wales to enable patients to benefit from telemedicine.

The money will also be used to enable Trusts to carry out minor building alterations and introduce further measures to reduce energy consumption.

Minister for Health & Social Services Edwina Hart visited Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth to see the endoscopy equipment and plans to enhance its endoscopy facilities. The Minister was also shown how telemedicine is linking Accident and Emergency and Minor Injury Units and how this funding will enable other hospitals to install this equipment.

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She said: "The NHS across Wales has seen significant investment in new buildings and equipment in recent years to help improve care for patients and the working environment for staff.

"The allocation of this £33m will help the NHS deliver better services for patients, including access to diagnostic tests, such as scans.

"It will also help begin to achieve the aims of our Delivering Emergency Care Strategy by increasing the opportunities for patients to be diagnosed through the use of telemedicine, where a patient can present symptoms in one hospital and can be diagnosed by a senior consultant in another hospital through the use of technology to share test results, scans and face-to-face consultation. Our aim is to provide as many services as close to the patient as possible. The increasing use of telemedicine will reduce the need for patients to travel.

"As well as new equipment and minor building work, this money will help the NHS further reduce its impact on the environment by enabling them to recycle more and reduce waste."

(CD/JM)