First Community Diagnostic Centre for mid and south Essex receives funding
Thurrock has been chosen as the first place in mid and south Essex to receive a Community Diagnostic Centre, which will be placed on the Thurrock Community Hospital site.
The centres are part of a national initiative to support faster diagnosis and access to tests and scans closer to home. The centre, which is due to open in 2024 will provide a CT Scanner, X-ray, Blood Tests, Ultrasound, MRI Scans and also heart and lung diagnostic tests.
The centre is the first of a number of centres planned for wider mid and south Essex.
Qaiser Malik, Clinical Director and Consultant Radiologist at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be awarded funding to build this centre in Thurrock on behalf of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System. Thurrock was chosen as the first site as it has some challenges with access to tests and diagnostics. The CDC programme is part of a national initiative to improve better access to diagnostic tests and therefore improve health outcomes.
“There will be a period of public engagement as we go through the planning process and we hope people will be very interested to hear about the plans and give us their thoughts.”
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is leading on the programme with the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSEICS). The MSEICS has a wider estates programme, which is looking to enhance and increase health and care facilities for local people.
The first engagement event will be held on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at 2pm – 4pm and 6pm – 8pm at Headon Hall, 18 Crawford Ave, Grays RM16 2AS. This is a drop in for residents to see the plans and speak to health and care representatives about what the centres will offer.
ENDS
For more information, please contact mse.communications@nhs.net
The development of Community Diagnostics Centres support broader ambitions of the Mid and South Integrated Care Board to; bring care closer to home, focus on prevention and improve and transform local services.
For more information about the Mid and South Essex ICS visit: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/
The announcement of the funding was was made in the Department of Health and Social Care press notice here: Government turbocharges efforts to tackle COVID-19 backlogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)