Local NHS gets ready to ramp up lifesaving tests

Shropshire patients will soon benefit from quicker access to tests, checks and scans when a brand-new community diagnostic centre opens in Telford later this summer.

The government has approved the community diagnostic centre (CDC), one of four in the Midlands region, providing tests and treatments away from the acute hospitals.

Led by Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System, the centre is set to transform how services such as MRI scans, ultrasounds, X-rays and blood tests are offered to local people.

Patricia Davies, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust CEO, said: “This is really great news for residents, staff and services across the county – the centre will act as a one-stop shop offering a range of diagnostic checks, scan and tests to help reduce the backlog and diagnose patients more quickly.

“It will reduce waiting times for non-urgent tests and reduce the risk of cancellation, improving patient experience and outcomes, whilst at the same time bring additional capacity into our system to reduce pressure on other services.

“The plan is to provide even more services than we originally set out, including Echocardiograms, Lung Functioning Tests, Basic Sleep Studies, and Long COVID Clinics.

“We are working to a summer launch to give us enough time to put in place all the equipment, staff and training and make the necessary alterations to the building.”

Other services available in the new CDC include:

• CT (a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around the body)
• Non-Obstetric Ultrasound Scans (non-invasive scans)
• X-Ray
• ECG (Electrocardiograms)
• Phlebotomy (blood tests) with some on site point of care sample analysis.

The centre will be sited at Hollinswood House in Telford, which is currently undergoing a complete interior redesign to ensure it is fit for purpose and able to accommodate future demand.