Isle of Wight NHS Trust has opened its doors to a new Community Diagnostic Centre, at St Mary’s Hospital, that is set to offer more patients life-saving checks and provide quicker diagnoses.
The new facility will deliver better patient experience and improve outcomes for islanders with serious long term health conditions such as cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease. It is hoped that the services offered at the CDC will reduce the need to go to the mainland to receive specialist treatment.
Having opened its doors this morning, the centre – located on the North side of the hospital – has already seen hundreds of patients walk through the door on opening day.
The new centre will support the expansion of testing for:
- Cardiac Physiology: ECGs, Echocardiograms, Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Respiratory Physiology: Lung Function Testing, Spirometry
- Sleep Studies
- Diagnostic Imaging: Ultrasound, Plain Film X-Ray & CT scanning
- Fracture Clinic
- Phlebotomy (co-located and accessible through the diagnostic centre and outpatient entrance)
- DEXA Scanning
So far, more than 40 new jobs have been created with significant investment in on-site technologies to allow hospital processes to become more efficient, a change welcomed by staff.
Chief Officer, Joe Smyth said:
“We are delighted to have opened our island’s new Community Diagnostic Centre. The new centre will transform the way islanders will be able to access the diagnostic care they need and reduce the number of times people will have to come to hospital.
As part of the trust’s wider acute reconfiguration plans, that will see the separation of hot and cold services, the fracture clinic and walk-in x-ray will also be relocated to the new centre. Patients who need a walk-in x-ray between 09:00 and 17:30 or attend the fracture clinic will also now need to head to the North Hospital for their appointments. Patients needing a walk-in x-ray after 17:00 will need to visit the x-ray department in the main hospital (located next to the emergency department reception.)
Chief Operating Officer, Vicky Lauchlan said:
“Through the creation of the new Community Diagnostic Centre we have been able to invest in our people and the island community.
“Over 40 positions have been created to support the new CDC. Existing and new staff, who have been recruited locally, have benefitted from apprenticeships and other training and development schemes to ensure we have the workforce, along with our fantastic new facility, to provide the very best care to our patients.”
Lara Alloway, Chief Medical Officer of NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said:
“We are delighted to see the new Community Diagnostic Centre open on the Isle of Wight and commend everyone who has worked towards the opening of this fantastic new NHS facility. This is great news for patients living on the Island who will see speedier access to vital tests and scans, which are needed to ensure people receive the care they need in a timely way.”
Construction of the new building began in August 2023, after Mountjoy were awarded the contract. On completion of the project, Mountjoy’s Building Projects Director, Duncan O’Rourke said:
“Mountjoy are extremely proud to have been part of the team in delivering these fantastic new healthcare facilities for the benefit of the island community.”
