The diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions including cancer, heart and lung disease is set to get quicker in Weston-super-Mare, thanks to a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
The state-of-the-art CDC, run by InHealth in partnership with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), will open in April (2024) and be based at the For All Healthy Living Centre, which is also the base for Horizon Health Centre GP practice.
The CDC will be built alongside existing mobile units providing both CT (Computed tomography) and MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) scanning at the health centre, providing increased diagnostic capacity to speed up treatment, reduce waiting lists and offer patients care closer to home.
The centre will be the first of its kind in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) area. The Weston development is part of an NHS plan that will see a series of fixed CDCs created across the South West during 2024, with mobile services in place to increase the number of scans for patients while the building work is carried out.
The Weston-super-Mare CDC will complement CT and MRI scanning already taking place at the mobile units, as well as offering additional radiology imaging and cardiac and respiratory physiology tests, all of which help with the diagnosis and treatment of people with a range of conditions. Patients will be able to access the services via a referral from their GP or clinician.
Paula Clarke, Executive Managing Director (Weston General Hospital) at UHBW, said: “We’re very pleased the Weston-super-Mare CDC is on track to open in April and look forward to working with our partners to offer faster diagnosis and treatment to the local community.
“Local access to these tests is vital to support improvements in health outcomes and help reduce health inequalities.”
With funding provided by NHS England, thousands of people every year will be able to conveniently access a wide range of diagnostic tests in one central place, away from a busy hospital site.
InHealth, which has been appointed as preferred bidder for the project following a competitive procurement exercise by NHS England in the South West on behalf of the BNSSG Integrated Care Board (ICB), will be responsible for staffing and ownership of the building.
Geoff Searle, InHealth Chief Executive, said: “This is an exciting milestone in the South West CDC programme and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with UHBW to create the new centre.
“Expanding this model of healthcare in the South West region will bring real benefits to patients in the local area and continue to improve health outcomes through increased range, scale and accessibility of services for the local population, so we are very pleased to get started.”
Dr Joanne Medhurst, Chief Medical Officer at NHS BNSSG ICB, said: “Reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment is a key priority for us. We’re looking forward to having this new diagnostic facility in place which will enable thousands of people across the area to be seen, diagnosed and treated sooner.”
The new centre is also part of a national programme to help continue the recovery of services left overwhelmed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has committed a £2.3billion national investment to open up to 160 CDCs by 2025 providing approximately 9 million additional tests a year for people nationwide.
Comments