A multimillion pound new one stop shop for medical tests and scans is to open in Bolton.
The Community Diagnostic Centre will be built on the site of Royal Bolton Hospital on Minerva Road, Farnworth and will performs functions like MRI and CT scans.
Managers at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust say it could be key to reducing backlogs and treating patients more quickly.
Director of strategy and transformation Sharon White said: “Demand for health and care services in all sectors continues to be high and rising, so it’s really important we find ways of increasing our capacity and make it as easy as possible for people to access the services they need.
“A lot of work has taken place to choose the most effective location for the diagnostic centre so that it allows us to deliver the very best care and service for our patients.
“By building our CDC at Royal Bolton Hospital we’re able to ensure our patients are closely linked to other services they need.
“Our new centre will be a hub of activity for scans and tests, resulting in thousands of patients every year getting diagnosed more quickly, which will improve health outcomes and save lives.”
Hospital staff have already been treating people in a mobile diagnostic unit on the Minerva Road site, where more than 12,000 scans have been delivered in just a year.
But they hope that the new permanent unit will help speed up this process and provide access to potentially life-saving tests for years to come.
Programme director of transformation Samantha Ball said: “This is a major investment in our services and workforce, using cutting-edge technology in a modern diagnostic centre so that we can continue to deliver high-quality care for Bolton.
“Our mobile testing unit has already made a huge difference by delivering thousands of tests, and there is no doubt this permanent centre will allow us to go even further in tackling long waits to be seen and by increasing our diagnostic capabilities.”
To allow construction work to get underway the hospital has moved several of its service, either temporarily or permanently.
General outpatients has relocated from J Block to N Block on the hospital site while dermatology has relocated from J Block to N Block on the hospital site.
Further afield, sexual health has relocated from N Block on the hospital site to Crompton Health Centre while clinical psychology has relocated from N Block on the hospital site to Great Lever Health Centre.
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Divisional director of operations for diagnostic and support services Ryan Calderbank said he believe the new centre would make a huge difference for patients.
He said: “We’re all too aware of the demand on our services and the need to increase our capacity, so we are really excited about how this new space will help people receive diagnoses sooner.
“Earlier and easier to access improves outcomes for people, reduces the need for hospital visits, reduces waiting times and helps to reduce inequalities for the people of Bolton.”
The Community Diagnostic Centre is expected to open in 2024.
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