Pitch dug up so work can start on new NHS centre

The pitch at Boston United's former home has been dug up as work gets under way on what will be a new multimillion-pound community diagnostic centre for Lincolnshire.

Once the ground was cleared at the site on York Street in Boston, construction would start on the £24.9m development, according to Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG).

To mark the start of 20 weeks of works, LCHG has held a ground-breaking ceremony on the former pitch.

LCHG said the Boston Community Diagnostic Centre was scheduled to open to patients in spring 2027 and was expected to support up to 70,000 patients each year.

Boston United played their final match at York Street in 2020 before moving to their current home at the Jakemans Community Stadium.

Prof Karen Dunderdale, NHS group chief executive, said the team was excited to see the project take shape over the coming year.

"It is a privilege to be a part of this improvement, which not only brings additional testing capacity to support our patients in this part of Lincolnshire, but also transforms a space in the community which has sat empty and unused for some time," Dunderdale said.

When completed, the building would feature two new MRI scanners, two new CT scanners, X-ray facilities, three ultrasound rooms, a DEXA scanner, a further eight consultation rooms and a dedicated space for audiology services, according to LCHG.

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