Patient access to vital diagnostic services to be drastically improved as part of new Community Diagnostic Centre programme in Coventry and Warwickshire

Patients in Coventry and Rugby will soon be benefiting from dedicated diagnostic centres following £34 million worth of investment from NHS England and Improvement (NHESI) for the development of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) across the local healthcare system.

The funding will mean that patients will be seen quicker and their conditions diagnosed sooner, which will help give them the best possible chance of successful treatment for potentially life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.

In Coventry, a dedicated CDC will be developed in the heart of the city in the Paybody building on the City of Coventry Health Centre site, with major works ongoing from 2023 to 2024. The location of the centre will mean that patients will benefit from the accessibility and transport links of the central location and will have easier access to a range of diagnostic services as well as Cancer diagnostic pathways.

In Rugby, plans have been approved for a new Endoscopy Unit to be opened at the Hospital of St Cross in summer 2023, with works set to begin soon. The Unit will include three fully-equipped Endoscopy procedure rooms and facilities with separate male and female waiting and recovery areas, improving privacy and comfort for patients.

As part of the investment residents in Warwickshire North and South Warwickshire will also be benefitting from new CDCs with centres at George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton and Stratford Hospital, both increasing patient access to CT and MRI scans.

The services offered at CDCs will be separate to urgent diagnostic test facilities and patients will be referred for diagnostic procedures at CDCs by their GP. This reduces the number of hospital visits and reduces waiting times for patients by diverting people away from hospitals – so hospitals can focus on treating urgent patients while the diagnostic centres focus on tackling the backlog for tests and checks.

Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, said: “We are committed to ensuring patients have more convenient access to vital diagnostic procedures with shorter waiting times and this new funding will help to deliver on this key objective.

“The two developments in the heart of Coventry and in Rugby will mean that patients will have improved access to planned diagnostic tests closer to home and they will receive care quicker improving their experiences and outcomes.

“This early diagnosis is crucial in giving patients the best possible chance of successful treatment and recovery, and I am looking forward to seeing the positive impact of these new CDCs.”

Further information on the CDC developments will be shared as they become available.