A COUPLE from Porlock are upset after the temporary CT Scanner in Minehead - which has been hailed as a ‘blessing’ - has now been removed.
The CT scanner, which was installed in August 2025, was a temporary measure while the new diagnostic centre is being built in Bridgwater.
The scanner was removed last week, with many patients now having to travel to Musgrove or Taunton Diagnostic Centre.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said there were ‘poor utilisation rates’ while the scanner was in Minehead.
Joy Bampton, 67, who lives in Porlock alongside her husband, said the scanner was ‘hugely convenient’ for them.
Her husband, who is 69, was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, and has CT scans every three months.
The pair used to travel to Musgrove Park Hospital or the Taunton Diagnostic Centre, but said the temporary scanner at Minehead Hospital was ‘great’, and they could get there and back in less than 45 minutes
Joy said: “Time is very precious, so when my husband is well we want to be doing things – going to cafes, meeting friends.
“When we have to go to Taunton, it is an isolated trip – it is not pleasant as going there is linked to diagnosis, treatments and prognosis. Plus, the whole morning or afternoon is gone.
“At Minehead Hospital, you could fit the scan into normal life.
“But I am not just doing this for my husband, it is a better service for the local community.”
Joy explained that travelling to Taunton and back can take around three hours, sometimes more depending on traffic, and said the journey can be ‘wearing and time consuming’ for her husband, who she says is ‘steady at the moment but very tired and sometimes feels very unwell’.
The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said the ‘uptake for appointments’ has been ‘comparatively low’, with other diagnostic services at Minehead Hospital being used ‘more frequently’, such as the x-ray room.
Adam Turner, head of imaging at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Through the national Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme, we have significantly expanded CT and MRI capacity in Somerset, including opening centres in Taunton and Yeovil, with further capacity to opening in Bridgwater this summer.
“To manage existing demand prior to the opening of the Bridgwater CDC, relocatable CT and MRI scanners were temporarily placed at Minehead and Bridgwater community hospitals (lack of available space meant we couldn’t locate all of the scanners in Bridgwater).
"Scanners have been located in Minehead since August 2025 and in this short period, the uptake for appointments has been comparatively low, leading to poor utilisation rates.
“Other diagnostic services at Minehead are more widely used, and we have recently invested in upgrading the x‑ray room at Minehead Community Hospital. This will support the local community, for the next 10-year life-cycle of the equipment.
“We want to provide services in local communities where possible and we will continue to look for opportunities to do this in Minehead.”
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