New Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) to open in Skegness and Lincoln
£38m investment announced for the NHS in Lincolnshire for new Community Diagnostic Centres in Skegness and Lincoln
Patients in Lincolnshire are to benefit from greatly improved access to NHS diagnostic tests. This follows confirmation today by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) of £38 million of additional funding for the development of two new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) in Skegness and Lincoln.
CDCs first launched nationally in July 2021. When fully established, they provide a range of patient diagnostic services, such as X-rays and ultrasound. They are designed to be ‘one-stop shops’ that can check, test and scan patients for a range of conditions, from cancer to heart or lung disease.
The NHS in Lincolnshire successfully opened its first CDC in Grantham in April 2022. Since then it has undertaken over 59,000 diagnostic tests. The new investment announced today significantly increases diagnostic capacity in the county, benefitting patients across Lincolnshire.
John Turner, Chief Executive, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board:
“We are absolutely thrilled to have this substantial additional funding confirmed. This will enable us to establish these two new CDCs and significantly increase our local diagnostic capacity, making a huge difference to patients.”
“I’m particularly pleased that we have secured around £15m for the CDC investment in Skegness, which we believe amounts to the biggest single NHS investment in the town centre for many years. Having these diagnostic services available locally is of great benefit to local people and provides a huge boost to meeting the needs of patients on our east coast.
“Alongside this, the investment of £23m in the city of Lincoln for the Lincoln CDC is fantastic and will equally present a huge step up in diagnostic capacity in the city and the surrounding area. This investment is further to that we have already made in Lincoln. This includes the recently upgraded resuscitation services in A&E, the Urgent Treatment Centre, and two new mental health wards on the Lincoln County Hospital site, as well as the recently modernised Abbey Medical Practice. It also enables us to enhance our joint working with the Medical School at the University of Lincoln.”
Both new CDCs will be modular buildings, meaning they can be built relatively quickly and cost-efficiently. With funding now confirmed, the expectation is that whilst the CDCs are under construction a mobile MRI service will commence on both sites from December 2023, providing additional capacity for Lincolnshire patients. Further services will then be added, with the CDCs being fully operational by September 2024. This includes CT, X-ray, ultrasound, and other supporting diagnostics.
Claire Lloyd, CDC Programme Lead:
“Diagnostics are recognised as a key priority in the NHS Long-Term Plan and CDCs play a key role in cutting waiting lists and helping to cut out unnecessary hospital visits, delivering closer, more convenient care.”
“For Lincolnshire, and particularly for Skegness and Lincoln, the investment in these two new CDCs is at a level that will make an enormous difference to our diagnostic testing capabilities and capacity in the county for years to come, and we are immensely proud of that.”
To read more from the Government announcement click here.
