The brand new state of the art Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Workington is a step closer to welcoming patients as North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) have taken ownership of the building.
The new £19m facility located in Workington town centre will provide local communities with faster and more streamlined access to a wide range of tests, such as MRI, CT, X-Ray, Ultrasound and Lung function tests closer to where they live.
The CDC reflects one of the key shifts outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan published today moving more care away from hospitals and into the community preventing patients from having to travel to the acute sites for their diagnostic tests, bringing accessible healthcare to the doorstep of many.
Patients will be offered test and scan appointments sooner, leading to earlier detection and diagnosis and improved health outcomes for the local community.
The CDC at Workington forms part of a national programme to improve local access to diagnostic testing. The £19m of funding was secured from the national CDC programme to help reduce health inequalities in the region by providing patients with access to the care they need.
The CDC was officially handed over to the Trust by building contractor GRAHAM last week and has come in on time and on budget. It is now ready for colleagues to begin training on the new state of the art equipment and will open in a phased way to patients starting later this month.
Dr Adrian Clements, Executive Medical Director said:
“Having a centre like this embedded in the local community is key to the future of the NHS. We’re delighted to take ownership of the new Community Diagnostic Centre, we know what a huge difference this new facility will make to our patients across Cumbria.”