The first phase of the development of a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at North Cambs Hospital, in Wisbech, has opened its doors to provide easier access and quicker diagnoses to local people and communities.
The new facilities, managed by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), will provide people with access to vital diagnostic services closer to their home.
This will help to reduce the need to travel further afield for tests and reduce waiting times for patients while easing pressure on acute hospital services.
The new Community Diagnostic Centre in Wisbech brings state-of-the-art diagnostic services closer to people’s homes. It will play a vital role in helping to diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and stroke more quickly, so that people can get the care they need when they need it.
Dr John Firth, deputy medical director at CUH
Wisbech CDC includes mobile CT and MRI scanners, and is open for 12 hours a day, seven days a week for the thousands of patients in Wisbech and nearby who need quicker access to tests and checks.
In autumn 2023, the scanners will form part of the new Wisbech Community Diagnostic Centre where people will be able to have multiple tests on the same day and in the same place.
Once complete, the centre will play a crucial role in speeding up the diagnosis of cases of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke through providing ultrasound scans and cardio-respiratory tests such as echocardiograms, ECGs, and spirometry.
In addition to Wisbech CDC, autumn 2023 will also see the opening of Ely Community Diagnostic Centre at the Princess of Wales Hospital, which will provide access to modern imaging facilities including CT, MRI, X-Ray, and ultrasound, plus cardio-respiratory and blood tests.
Both centres will be managed by CUH, working in close collaboration with our partners across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (opens in a new tab).
Jan Thomas, chief executive officer of NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, part of the Integrated Care System, said:
We are very proud to launch the first part of our Community Diagnostic at North Cambs Hospital. This is an important step forward in providing local people with access to vital services closer to their home.
Adding: "Our CT and MRI scanning units will help give local people faster access to scans and receive their results quicker than ever before; making a positive difference to the way people in Wisbech receive their care."