Bolton’s new Community Diagnostic Centre welcomes first X-Ray patient

Eric Golding attended the multi-million-pound centre to investigate pain he was experiencing in both of his hands, using the X-ray suite to rule out conditions such as arthritis.

He was thrilled to have received an appointment within a few days, compared to the longer waits he experienced for a scan before the diagnostic centre opened.

Eric said: “It’s quite awesome to be the first patient when you think what has been spent and getting to use the new equipment.

“I’ve had a number of scans recently, but this is my first time in this building. The appointment was made on the Friday and a few days later here I am.

“The whole experience has been really quick, and the staff have been so friendly. The building feels really clean and new, and it is great to see how it all looks.”

Eric Golding (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)The Community Diagnostic Centre first opened to MRI, CT and ultrasound patients at the end of March and will support thousands of patients by providing quick and easy access to vital tests and scans.

Located on the ground floor of J Block at Royal Bolton Hospital, the dedicated centre aims to increase diagnostic capacity, reducing waiting times, and clear backlogs.

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Ian Guest, Plain Film Deputy Lead at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s felt very exciting to welcome our first few patients through the door.

“We have been spending a lot of time training to make sure we’re ready as we’re now using the latest technology to help diagnose a range of conditions.

“Our CDC will be a hive of activity as we’re expecting to see 44 X-Ray patients every day, so that’s more than 200 a week.”

The X-ray area (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)Sarm Falaki, Interim Lead Radiographer at the Trust, added: “The centre will be a great benefit to the local population in terms of improving accessibility to diagnostic services.

“With these brand-new pieces of equipment, we can utilise new techniques to provide better diagnostic quality imaging with lower radiation doses which will directly benefit patients and staff.”

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