New health facility will 'speed up' patient care

A new health building is to be built in a bid to cut waiting lists and speed up diagnosis times.

More than £11m in government funding will be spent on creating the new facility next to the current Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in West Swindon, Wiltshire.

It will see new MRI and CT scanners installed, along with new audiology equipment to treat conditions like hearing loss and tinnitus.

A spokesperson for the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said the new site would "provide more care in the community" and "start medical treatments sooner, enhancing patients' health outcomes".

CDCs are local hubs which provide patients with access to a wide range of tests, including MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds.

Health minister Karin Smyth MP said the expansion in Swindon was part of a major drive to bring down waiting lists.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Waiting for a diagnosis is a major factor in waiting lists - of [the] long waiting lists, 80 per cent is waiting for diagnostics.

"CDCs are much calmer and less stressful environments to get a test and results than a big hospital. They're closer to where people live and it's easier to park."

A spokesperson for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are pleased to be developing a new CDC for Swindon, which will help thousands of extra patients have diagnostic checks, scans and tests closer to home, and delivered in a more timely way.

"By moving some care out to community settings, we will also be able to ensure that hospital services are freed up for those who are the most acutely unwell."

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