Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has opened a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Walton Hospital.
The £5.2m purpose-built facility, developed in partnership with Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS) and Actiform as the main construction partner, is part of a wider £29.9m investment in Community Diagnostic Centres across Derby and Derbyshire.
The CDC programme in the UK is designed to create more community-based diagnostic care.
The Walton Hospital CDC is designed as a ‘one-stop shop’, allowing patients to undergo multiple diagnostic tests under one roof, reducing the need for travel and multiple appointments. The site is accessible via public transport or cycling and even offers free car parking.
The CDC at Walton Hospital aims to deliver faster, more convenient appointments, transforming how and where people access vital health tests, scans and checks; reducing waiting times, easing pressure on acute hospital services and supporting a key ambition of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to move more care from hospitals to the community.
Dr Hal Spencer, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The opening of this Community Diagnostic Centre is a major step forward in our commitment to delivering care closer to our patients’ homes in the community.
The CDC at Walton offers a range of services, including phlebotomy (blood tests), ultrasound, CT scanning, X-ray, Point of Care Testing, Audiology and Cardio-respiratory, diagnosing conditions such as cancer, heart disease and respiratory issues.
Other organisations involved in the build include Within the first month of opening, more than 4,000 tests and scans are expected to take place, with many appointments taking place at evenings and weekends, supporting more flexibility and accessibility for patients: resulting in quicker diagnosis and treatment plans.
Michelle Veitch, Chief Operating Officer, added: “Having this centre in the heart of the community means that our patients can access services closer to home, away from a busy hospital site. Whilst services of course remain available at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, some patients may find it easier to visit a Community Diagnostic Centre instead. Offering a greater choice allows our patients to choose where is best for them, based on their availability and location.”
An extension is being planned for the CDC, which will see two additional services hosted at the site
Jim Austin, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Walton Hospital, said: “This is one of three community diagnostic centres located in our Derbyshire community hospitals."
"Other diagnostic centres are already up and running at Whitworth Hospital in Darley Dale and at Ilkeston Community Hospital. These developments are being made possible through our partnership working with Chesterfield Royal Hospital and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, meaning we are extending the scope of what’s available to patients locally across Derbyshire and in line with the new NHS 10-year plan to focus more care in community settings.”
Located inside the main reception, a local photographer, Scott Antcliffe, has donated an image that visitors may recognise: Baslow Edge.
Antcliffe wanted to ‘give back to the NHS’ and show his appreciation to staff working across healthcare and donated a further 17 images which are located throughout the new development, and include local landscapes, Derbyshire landmarks and wildlife.
Thanks to further funding, and the ability to provide more services, an extension is being planned for the CDC, which will see two additional services hosted at the site, including fixed and permanent MRI and CT scans (instead of the movable vans currently used) as well as DEXA and Children's Audiology.
These additional services are expected to welcome more than 190 additional patients per week, further enhancing the region’s diagnostic and testing capacity.