Newmarket Hospital diagnostics centre plans move forward with planning application submission
Plans for a new diagnostics centre at Newmarket Hospital are to move forward with a planning application was submitted to West Suffolk Council.
The 1,600sqm site will include 920sqm of additional floor space and will create nine new jobs at the hospital.
An existing radiography unit will be demolished at the site to make way for the new centre, which the Exning Road hospital in, inpatient unit and outpatient clinic.
The application was submitted on Thursday by KLH Architects Ltd on behalf of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
The £15 million project was one of 10 to be given the green light by the Department of Health and Social Care back in October.
Once built, it will provide a reduction in hospital visits and waiting times, provide new MRI and CT scanners, and provide earlier diagnoses for patients through easier and more direct access to a range of full diagnostic tests.
Speaking after the funding had been approved by the department, Ed Garratt, chief executive of NHS Suffolk and North East Essex, said: “It’s fantastic that the funding for a community diagnostic centre at Newmarket has today been approved.
“This is a great example of how working collaboratively we can deliver improvements for our patients.”
West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock, a former Health Secretary, added: “I’m absolutely delighted we have won the funding to expand Newmarket Hospital with a new Community Diagnostic Centre – so people can get tests in town.
“The investment will see cutting-edge diagnostics equipment available to those living in and around Newmarket, within two years.
“This important step shows commitment to ensuring both staff and patients have access to world-class facilities, as part of this transformational programme, which will increase capacity for tests and scans and give patients more choice of where they can access their care.
The hope is that the project could be completed by early 2024, with a plan to begin accepting patients by April. Once built, it will be staffed by a multi-disciplinary team including nurses and radiographers.
