Doctors in the saddle for Newport X-ray appeal

Staff from Linden Hall and Wellington Road surgeries will be riding exercise bikes from 8am until 8pm on January 28, and are hoping patients will sponsor them and provide encouragement.

All money raised will go towards the X-ray appeal, which was launched to upgrade ageing X-ray equipment at the town's Wellington Road Surgery.

The upgraded equipment will still be based at the Cottage Care Centre off Upper Bar, but will be in line with state of the art digital technology being installed at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Dr Nick Tindall, chairman of the X-ray appeal, said “Both Wellington Road and Linden Hall Surgeries have been working hard to support Newport League of Friends’ X-ray appeal, but this time they’re really putting their money where their mouths are.

"GPs are always encouraging patients to take more exercise so this seemed a great way for them to help raise money for the appeal. They’ll literally be working hard to raise money.

“GPs and staff from both practices are taking part, so an exercise machine will be set up in each one – what we don’t know is who will go furthest, or who will raise the most money.

“What we’d really like is for patients to sponsor staff or just pop a donation in to either practice. It really doesn’t matter if it’s a pound or ten – anything that encourages them to keep going would be really welcome. All people need to do is fill in the sponsorship form at the front desk of their practice, or even just give a donation on the day.”

Dr Tindall said the updated X-ray machine will mean much better care for people in the town.

“If anyone knows how critical it is for Newport to have an up to date digital X-ray machine, it’s the Newport GPs," he said.

"A digital machine means they will get results to their screen as well as to Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, so practices will be able to offer much better care for people from Newport and the villages. No replacement machine means no more X-ray in our town, and 1,600 people having to travel to Telford or Shrewsbury for an X-ray – it’s a stark choice.”