The North-Western Health Board has confirmed that X-ray equipment at Letterkenny General Hospital was taken out of use after an inspection found it to be unsafe for use on children and women under 50 years.
An inspection carried out by the hospital's radiological protection adviser in October found that the equipment was unsafe, and it was taken out of use, according to a report in yesterday's Irish Medical Times.
A spokeswoman for the NWHB said yesterday that the board had been advised by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), that "the safety of young clients and pregnant women could not be guaranteed".
The equipment is used for a specific type of screening relating to the bowel.
The spokeswoman said that interim arrangements had been put in place with Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry "to handle the substantial workload", but it was accepted that these arrangements were "not sufficient to meet the demand".
The NWHB viewed the replacement of the equipment as a "matter of urgency" and it was seeking funding to have it replaced.