Location of Southend’s Community Diagnostic Centre confirmed
The home of Southend’s brand-new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has been announced as being in the former Argos unit in the Victoria Shopping Centre.
It’s on track to welcome its first patients this winter and will deliver 30,000 new diagnostic appointments a year, helping cut hospital waiting times and get people across mid and south Essex the tests they need sooner.
Some of its services – which will move to the old Argos site once completed - are already up and running, with ultrasound appointments now being delivered from the Pathology First test centre in the same shopping centre - providing earlier access to vital diagnostic tests for local patients.
Once fully open, the CDC will offer x-rays, ultrasounds, echocardiograms and heart and lung tests, allowing patients to be seen at a place and time that’s convenient for them, without having to come to the hospital.
Julie Smith, Senior Responsible Officer for the project at the Trust said: “By offering thousands of additional appointments each year, patients will get the tests they need more quickly - reducing waiting times and improving health outcomes for our communities.
“Southend’s CDC marks a major step forward in expanding access to diagnostic services across mid and south Essex. We are very excited about working in partnership with Thurrock Health Hubs (THH) to deliver this service”.
Last year THH, an independent provider who have provided clinical and diagnostic services within south Essex since 2014, was chosen as the independent provider to build and operate the state-of-the-art facility.
Michael Catling, Chief Operating Officer for THH, said: “We are thrilled to be working with our partners in the NHS to bring this centre to the heart of Southend. As an Essex company, we are all about the right care, at the right time and in the right place for our local communities. We worked hard, along with Southend City Council, to find this site to ensure local people had the parking, and the train and bus services so we were as accessible as possible.”
Cllr Paul Collins, Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Public Transport, said: "The addition of the Diagnostic Centre at The Victoria is another milestone in our commitment to revitalising this key city centre asset. Since acquiring The Victoria, we’ve focused on transforming it into a vibrant hub that meets the evolving needs of our residents.
"This new facility will not only bring vital diagnostic services into the heart of Southend, but also support our wider ambition to improve access to care, reduce health inequalities, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to live well."
The centre is part of a wider national programme funded by the Government to increase diagnostic capacity and provide a one-stop shop for checks, tests, and scans closer to home. It’s one of four CDCs set to open across the region in the next 18 months, with work already underway on Centres in Thurrock, Braintree and Pitsea.