WEST Somerset patients are having to travel to Taunton or Bridgwater after the relocation of MRI and CT scanners from Minehead Hospital.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said the scanners had always been temporary while a new facility was built in Bridgwater.

The trust pointed to low take-up of appointments by West Somerset patients, meaning the equipment was under-used.

The scanners, installed last August, were expected to deliver about 4,000 scans for local people.

Trust imaging head Adam Turner said: “Other diagnostic services at Minehead are more widely used, and we have invested in upgrading the X‑ray room.

“This will support the local community, for the next 10-year lifecycle 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.”

Somerset Cllr Mandy Chilcott, who is chairman of the hospital’s league of friends, was ‘cynical’ about the low take-up as she understood not everybody was offered a Minehead scan option.

Cllr Chilcott said: “Appointments in either Bridgwater or Taunton will now become almost impossible for those who are unwell and don’t have transport, given travel times take many hours.

“Communities in rural or coastal areas are more likely to experience worse NHS access and worse outcomes - surely, this is a move in the wrong direction.”

Cllr Andrew Hadley, who also represents Minehead on Somerset Council, was disturbed by reports poor take-up was because the bookings team did not always offer Minehead appointments in order to keep up numbers elsewhere.

He said: “Our residents are among the eldest population in the country, and any trip to Taunton or Bridgwater is extremely time consuming and costly.

“Residents deserve better, these facilities should be available in Minehead, it is easy to get to, free to park, and a modern building that should be utilised to its fullest.”