Exeter Chiefs open new X-ray room with a jungle-style makeover

Stars from the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club officially opened a newly refurbished paediatric X-ray room at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital recently.

The room has been given a jungle-style makeover so it is more friendly and welcoming for children thanks to a fundraising campaign led by Radiology staff and the support of digital imaging company Agfa HealthCare.

It is the second room to receive a makeover as a result of the RD&E’s Big Raise for Little Rays campaign.

The campaign successfully funded the £5,000 refurbishment the first X-ray room with a submarine theme in September 2017 with the support of staff and local fundraisers, including eleven-year-old Joel Warne who completed a sponsored 28 mile cycle along the Tarka Trail.

Thanks to the campaign’s success Agfa HealthCare, who supplied the new X-ray machines for both rooms, generously offered to match the team’s fundraising total and fund the refurbishment of a second X-ray room as well.  

“The new jungle-themed room, alongside the submarine-themed X-ray room continues to receive positive feedback from both patients and staff. The proactive and innovative approach taken by Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust continues to help improve the patient experience and Agfa HealthCare is proud to support,” explained Paul Jackson, Head of Marketing, Agfa HealthCare.

The newest jungle room, designed by artist Hugh Rose from Guernsey-based charity ‘Arts for Impact’, features various jungle creatures climbing across temple walls and hanging from vines, with several cheeky monkeys also making appearances.

Senior Radiographers Lizzie Linford and Rachel Simpson said: “Thanks to our hard-working staff, Joel, our generous supporters and the kind donation from AGFA towards our 'Big Raise for Little Rays' campaign, we now have two fun x-ray rooms. Their generous support has made visits to the x-ray department less daunting for young children. Even the adults have been finding the new artwork a good distraction!”

The two fully digital, fully automated X-ray rooms from Agfa HealthCare will help to deliver a better experience for patients by using higher quality images.  The state-of-the-art DR 600 machine provides quick access to high-quality images and is fully-automated so is easier for staff to operate. The refurbishment of both rooms was undertaken by building services contractor T.Clarke.