PATIENTS in Coventry will be seen quicker and have conditions diagnosed sooner following £34million of funding for the NHS in the city and Warwickshire.
The new investment from NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) will go to three community diagnostic centres (CDCs.)
The aim is to give patients the best possible chance of successful treatment for potentially life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.
Coventry CDC is set to open next year and will be made up of two parts split between Coventry and Rugby.
A dedicated CDC will be developed in the Paybody building on the City of Coventry Health Centre site, with major works ongoing over the next two years.
The centre’s location will mean patients will be able to benefit from accessibility and transport links and will have easier access to a range of diagnostic services as well as Cancer diagnostic pathways.
Plans have been approved for a new Endoscopy Unit to be opened at Rugby’s Hospital of St Cross this summer, which will increase capacity for CT and Ultrasound services.
The Warwickshire North CDC, based by the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, will be expanded with diagnostic tests for cancer and new CT and MRI scanners.
The Stratford Hospital-based South Warwickshire CDC has introduced different diagnostic equipment throughout 2022, increasing access to CT and MRI scans.
A dedicated building will be opened on the hospital site next year to co-locate it all.
The services offered at CDCs will be separate from urgent diagnostic test facilities, reducing the number of hospital visits and resulting in shorter waiting times by diverting people away from hospitals.
This will enable hospitals to focus on treating urgent patients while the diagnostic centres tackle the backlog for tests and checks.
The cash will also be used to raise the number of short-term diagnostic tests across Coventry and Warwickshire while the CDCs are being built.
Patients will be referred for diagnostic procedures at CDCs by their GP.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust CEO Prof Andy Hardy said: “The two developments in the heart of Coventry and Rugby will mean patients will have improved access to planned diagnostic tests closer to home and they will receive care quicker improving their experiences and outcomes.
“This early diagnosis is crucial in giving patients the best possible chance of successful treatment and recovery, and I am looking forward to seeing the positive impact of these new CDCs.”
