Work starts on health centres to reduce the pressure on hospitals
PLANS ALSO IN THE PIPELINE FOR CHEMOTHERAPY SERVICE
CONSTRUCTION work has begun on two new NHS community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in Lincolnshire. The new centres, which are part of a £38million investment in services provided by the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce pressure on busy hospitals, will be located in Lincoln and Skegness.
Patients at the centres will have access to a variety of diagnostic services, including X-ray, MRI, CT and non-obstetric ultrasound.
The Skegness CDC will be located in Old Wainfleet Road, while the Lincoln CDC will be on the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park, off Tritton Road.
On the Skegness site plans also include a chemotherapy service to reduce the amount of travel necessary for cancer patients.
A temporary mobile MRI scanner has already been placed on the east coast in Mablethorpe, at Marisco Medical Practice, to provide additional appointments while the Skegness build is completed.
Both builds represent a significant development in local NHS services, with the centre in Skegness believed to be the largest single NHS investment in the town in many years.
The facilities will be run by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT).
Julie Frake-Harris, chief operating officer at ULHT, said: “The start of groundworks on the Skegness and Lincoln sites is a significant and exciting step forward in the delivery of this programme for our patients.
“Working in collaboration with NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, we have involved patients and clinical teams at every stage of development to ensure we are creating an environment that is welcoming, modern and fit for purpose for the broad range of patient groups who will be able to use it.
“The convenience of these facilities is supported by free on-site parking, and having diagnostic testing in the community not only helps to reduce waiting times, it also frees up capacity in our busy hospitals to support those in need of emergency care.”
The new centres follow the construction of the Grantham CDC, which was the first to open in Lincolnshire in April 2022 and has recently had a £5m expansion to open CT and MRI facilities.
In Lincoln, the CDC will have dedicated training facilities to support the training of future radiographers, with ULHT becoming one of the first NHS Trusts in the country to link directly with a school of radiography at the University of Lincoln.
Temporary MRI and CT scanners are also already in place on the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park while building work is completed.
The contract to build both CDCs has been awarded to MTX, a modern methods of construction specialist.
To date, Lincolnshire’s CDC programme has supported the delivery of more than 80,000 diagnostic tests.
Clair Raybould, Executive Director for System Delivery, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, said: “The CDC programme is offering opportunity to explore how health and care organisations can develop and deliver services differently to address some of the unique challenges faced within our local communities, from a population and geographical perspective.
“As well as offering vital diagnostic testing, Lincolnshire’s CDCs have been designed to allow clinical space for other services, enabling the facility to develop further as a community hub.
“These partnerships are already helping to facilitate the provision of temporary services during construction works, the introduction of new services such as physiological testing, and the growth of future workforce development.”
The new centres are expected open to patients in autumn 2024. to