NEWTON Abbot Hospital is looking to extend its x-ray services so that patients attending the Minor Injuries Unit don't have to travel to Torquay.

Modern matron Liz Stirling said that since the new hospital opened, numbers attending the MIU have doubled.

Increased demand has convinced South Devon Healthcare Services, which runs the Imaging Department, to look at extending opening hours to 8am - 10pm, seven days a week, to match those of the MIU.

In recent months the hospital has been criticised after patients needing an x-ray out of hours were sent to Torbay Hospital as the Imaging Department was closed.

Assistant director Leah Allen explained that there was little extra cash and the expansion could only be achieved by juggling existing resources.

The issue of what services are available at the new Newton Abbot hospital got heated this week after Conservative parliamentary candidate Anne-Marie Morris was forced to withdraw an election leaflet about the NHS, in which she wrongly stated that services had been cut.

Ms Morris' name was not mentioned at the town council finance and general purposes committee on Wednesday, but matron Liz Stirling, referred to 'confusion' that existed over what was on offer. Several members took trouble to praise the hospital for the level of care they and family members had received there.

Cllr Mike Hocking praised the state of the art x-ray machine at the hospital, which has a direct data link to Torbay.

'Whatever we have got there, we would like it 24 hrs a day but we understand the constraints around that,' he said.

Devon PCT fielded three senior members of staff for the meeting but a public delegation asking awkward questions never materialised.

Chairman, Cllr Daphne Watts said that the new hospital and staff were highly regarded by the council and the people of Newton Abbot. She also paid tribute to the work of the League of Friends, who recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.

There were hints that hospital services may expand. Mrs Stirling said that the number of births was picking up, with nine in the past two weeks. More expectant mums are going there for ante-natal screening.

Mrs Allen said they are looking at what extra services they can bring across from Torbay. There are half a dozen candidates, including paediatrics.