THE experience of dental patients at Kidderminster Hospital has been enhanced by the installation of a new intra-oral X-ray scanner.

The digital equipment is the centrepiece of a £15,000 project paid for by The League of Friends of Kidderminster Hospitals.

It means the work of orthodontic clinicians is boosted by the ability to obtain high quality images of the inside of patients' mouths in a 10-minute procedure, providing them with a more detailed picture of the jaw and individual teeth.

Previously patients requiring this higher level of investigation had to wait for extra appointments and travel to other hospitals such as Worcester.

The purchase of the scanner brings the total ploughed into Kidderminster Hospital by the Friends to more than £120,000 in the last year.

Money has gone on improvements covering a wide range of departments including imaging, ophthalmology, ante-natal, dermatology and physiotherapy as well as the new Wyre Forest Ward.

The Friends organisation raises funds through its popular hospital café and Kidderminster charity shop in the Swan Centre and via legacies and donations from others wanting to support the local hospital.

For information on how to become a volunteer with the Friends, call 01562 67653.