New diagnostic centre on course to open next spring

A new NHS diagnostic centre being developed in Nottingham is on track to open next spring.

The facility, which is expected to provide up to 140,000 additional diagnostic tests per year and will be run by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, will form part of the redevelopment of the former Broadmarsh shopping centre.

When it opens, the NHS Nottingham Community Diagnostic Centre will include three MRI scanners and three CT scanners, in addition to X-ray and ultrasound services.

Dr Katharine Halliday, clinical lead for the centre, said it would help cut waits, reduce patient anxiety, improve patient outcomes and offer quicker access to treatment.

She added: "It will give us a lot of extra capacity. Ever since the pandemic, everywhere in the country has really struggled with waits for NHS diagnostic tests.

"Far too many people are waiting weeks and months, which means they cannot get on with their treatment.

"Sometimes their conditions are getting much worse while they wait."

The Nottingham centre was first announced as part of a wave of community diagnostic centres in England by the government in 2023.

It was originally hoped it would be open in 2025, but the trust said it had proved a challenging site to develop.

The complexity of the foundations, including its connection to the main Broadmarsh centre structure, and the existence of asbestos, has meant a longer design and evaluation period.

The development has been carried out by Henry Brothers Construction, which has involved enabling works and now the main building work.

NUH confirmed if work continues to progress, it should be open by next April.

The aim of the centre, which will also play a key role in helping diagnose cancer patients, is to create extra capacity for outpatients undergoing tests.

Outpatients currently make up 56% of those undergoing tests at NUH, with the remainder being inpatients being cared for in the emergency department.

The development will cost £25m, with an additional £10.5m coming from the Department of Health and Social Care for equipment.

An extra £4m has been provided by the government's Future High Streets Fund, via Nottingham City Council, to support the delivery of the project.

NUH currently has access to seven permanent MRI scanners at the Queen's Medical Centre site and two at Nottingham City Hospital.

In addition, there are four mobile units at the QMC and one in the city centre at the Platform One health centre.

The facilities at the new centre are expected to boost radiology diagnostic testing capacity at the trust by 20%.

Halliday said the tests could also be grouped together, adding: "You may be offered several tests and maybe even a consultation at the same appointment, reducing the number of visits required."

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