Islanders will have better access to tests and treatment thanks to a new £10million Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport.
The new centre will significantly expand diagnostic capacity on the Island meaning faster access and earlier diagnosis, improving outcomes for people with serious long-term health conditions, such as cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
It will be co-located with the outpatient department meaning that the Trust will be able to offer more one-stop services booking tests and consultations at the same time.
Islanders will wait less time for tests and procedures that help diagnose conditions and lead to more comprehensive treatment plans, this will reduce the number of times people will have to come to the hospital.
NHS England and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board have approved the business case that will see the new £10million diagnostic centre open in mid-2024.
Joe Smyth, Chief Operating Officer, Isle of Wight NHS Trust said:
“This is fantastic news for our community. The latest investment into our Island’s NHS services will mean faster access to tests that can detect serious illness allowing treatment / recovery plans to commence as soon as possible.
Article continues below this advertisement “We want to get the most out of this centre and use it to provide opportunities for people to explore careers in healthcare. We are committed to working with the Local Authority and other healthcare partners to encourage young people to take up roles and make the island more self-sufficient in care delivery.”
The CDC will provide GPs and outpatients greater access to a wider range of local diagnostic testing including cardiac and respiratory physiology measurements and bone densitometry alongside CT, ultrasound, general imaging, and a small procedures room for undertaking same day biopsies and cystoscopies. New artificial intelligence endoscopy scopes have already been procured and will improve detection of polyps and cancer as well increasing access to testing later this year.
Sleep studies, spirometry, and lung function testing along with echo cardiograph and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring will also help to identify early warning signs for illnesses such as asthma, lung cancer, hypertension, strokes, and heart attacks.
Bob Seely MP said:
“I am delighted government has committed £10 million for a Community Diagnostic Centre on the Island.
“This centre will provide Islanders with quicker access to tests, scans and checks helping to reduce waiting lists and enabling quicker diagnoses which ultimately, will save more lives.
“This investment is in addition to the £48 million government has already committed to improving healthcare services for Islanders – which includes the improvement works currently underway at St Mary’s – all part of getting a better deal for the Island.”
A step in the right direction. They’ll need faster testing facilities given the 100s of new homes that are due to start being built in Ryde. 1000s more ‘customers’ awaiting their test results!
And who is going to run this centre, Bobby?
Not enough staff to run the current hospital. Where are you going to get the 100s needed to run this?
And thousands more waiting for an appointment.
Basically good news. BUT the problem is getting referred in the first place, it’s GP surgery shortages that’s the major problem. Too many people for the number of GPs.
Oh, and sort the lack of car parking out, stop making car parks with fancy curves, make them rectangular, they may not look nice but you could vastly increase the number of spaces.
Hahaha more garbage how is this going to improve outcomes for patients what’s the point in faster diagnosis when you have to wait six months to get anything treated and then for it to be cancelled for some flimsy excuse and how are they going to achieve this £10 million testing centre when the NHS won’t even pay the doctors and nurses a decent salary because all the NHS funding fills the pockets of pen pushing management companies
I hope to goodness this plan comes to fruition. I have just paid over £2000 for a cardiac MRI scan as I have already been waiting 6 months with another 7 month waiting list when I telephoned in early March. A new diagnostic centre should have been set up before patients were being sent to QA as they either have no cardiac MRI scanner or no one to run it.
I will just say that my care from the Ambulance Staff, St Mary’s Hospital, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, Q/A and last week The Spire were all so very professional, and thank you.
First class care on the island? Don’t make me laugh.
Nice to see half a sausage having his say again, even though he’s actually done nothing to help the situation. Way to go Effortless Bob!
Sure sounds good, but WHY NEWPORT, St Mary’s car parks are already overfilled… !! Plus getting around that stupid Coppins BRidge…!!!