Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust says the new facility, under construction by Morgan Sindall, will allow patients to access essential diagnostic services such as CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, heart scans, lung checks, blood tests, and X-rays, ‘at a time and place convenient for them, seven days a week’, with an extra 75,000 appointments offered at the centre annually.
Speaking at the event, Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, said: “Early diagnosis and fast treatment are crucial for improving health outcomes, so I’m delighted this new Community Diagnostic Centre will soon be giving residents easier access to essential tests and scans. This facility represents much-needed investment to expand our local health services and cut waiting lists that have seen people in Thurrock waiting too long for vital checks.”
James McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, said: “This centre is a major step forward for our local healthcare provision. The 75,000 new appointments will lead to quicker diagnoses and better overall experiences for patients in our area. I’m proud to see our community getting the healthcare investment that it needs.”
James Currell, acting Divisional director, Clinical and Support Services Division at the Trust, added: “This brings us another step closer to being able to offer diagnostic tests closer to Thurrock’s community, preventing the need for travel to hospital and speeding up access.
“This will be the first of four centres to open across mid and south Essex, providing us with some of the best provision in the region.”
The bricklaying ceremony was attended by local elected representatives and stakeholders including Health and Wellbeing Board Chair, Cllr Mark Hooper, and Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Kairen Raper.
Pictured, left to right, are James McMurdock MP, James Currell, and Jen Craft MP.