More details have been unveiled about the Isle of Wight’s proposed new £10million Community Diagnostic Centre.
It is expected to open at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport by mid-2024 and health bosses hope it could provide quicker access to tests and treatments closer to home for Islanders.
Plans have officially been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council for approval before the building works can start.
To accommodate the new diagnostic centre, a new wing could be added to the stroke unit, creating treatment rooms; recovery areas; spirometry suites; echo ultrasound suites and bone measurement suites.
A mammography/breast screening department could also be built with X-ray and ultrasound suites. Part of the extension would sit on some of the existing car park, displacing some parking spaces, but the circular car park would be re-modelled.
A main CDC entrance will be created at the car park level with a specific entry for the mammography department. Plans from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust say the designs are simple in form but more importantly, serve its function. It would match other recent projects at St Mary’s Hospital, like the extension to the emergency department which is being built.
A small extension could also be added to the current CT scanner at St Mary’s to provide a changing room for patients.
The CDC was announced in October last year, as part of a nationwide campaign to increase diagnostic capacity and reduce the backlog after COVID-19.
It is aimed at spotting early warning signs for illnesses and patients would be referred to the CDC by their doctors. The centre would also provide facilities for sleep studies, same-day biopsies and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
You can view the application 22/00395/FUL, on the council’s planning portal. Comments can be submitted until 30th May.
The would “could” seems to feature largely in this report. There could be new x-ray and ultrasound suites, but no mention of additional CT or MRI facilities which is what I expected in a £10 million diagnostic centre.
The only thing we do know this new diagnostic centre will provide is fewer parking spaces for visitors and patients and a lot of disruption while it is being built.
Sounds a lot like more Seely smoke and mirrors.
Why are you showing the plan of what looks like a housing development in Rookley?
Exactly you would hope it has all of that if it’s costing us 10 million
So there are plans to build yet more facilities right at the top of the site, furthest possible area from the bus stop. Its time for the management up there to be taught very firmly that we are people not just health problems on legs and that it would be very good PR to be discussing with southern vectis the provision of a minibus just going between Newport and St Marys. And then look for an area that could be allocated to the League of Friends so that patients can at least have a cup of tea.
Agreed, IWC also need to agree more car park spaces,so many appts are late because you can’t park and this puts great stress on patients/family. Bus stop used to be in grounds. No good providing services for patients if they can’t actually get there stress free and on time. This is a hospital where most have conditions/needs creating some mobility. So much green space that could be carpark. Come on IWC give permission – this is not a school where people can walk. Asda/Tesco has bigger car park and never full.
Is this 10M part of the money that was promised to the IOW but spent on Portsmouth QA?
If it is after a recent visit to Portsmouth Qa,the Isle of Wight orthopaedic clinic ,costing almost 50pound travel costs for a box ticking exercise….which could have been done at St Mary’s but Portsmouth have the say so now on knees and hips!..it was money wasted the ortho god and surgeon I saw had the empathy of a lemming and I wouldn’t let them near my toe nail let alone my knees..
As Smiffy says … that planning application is for a housing development in Rookley
Don’t get it. Community Diagnostic Centres are supposed to located away from hospitals so they are more convenient places for people to visit closer to their homes.
Would have been more logical to have one in East Wight which has the highest concentration of people. It’s ridiculous that Ryde doesn’t have dedicated clinical facilities such as these. Makes no sense to clog up Newport to access so many things on this Island. But ‘hey ho’ apparently the planning committee is full of such ‘wise men and women’ that think Ryde is fine for thousands of new houses but absolutely no new resources.
Showing planning application for Captiva Homes site Rookley?
Some good news at last
I thought the nhs was under funded
The Hospital needs better facilities
It is not right that poorly patients have to travel across the Solent for treatment
All procedures should be carried out on the Island.
F.F.S it’s 2023 and the extorninate council tax we pay on the Island should cover this.
Islanders are treated badly compared to many other parts of the country who have better
Health services and they pay much less council tax.
This all sounds very good and any additional services are very much welcomed. But the suits in the hospital who decide where money is spent must not forget, MORE BEDS ARE NEEDED. 45 patients waiting for a bed in the last 7 days. 24hours plus waiting in the corridor in A&E is unacceptable.