A ribbon-cutting ceremony on 16 June marked the official opening of Warrington and Halton Diagnostics Centre at Halton Hospital. The purpose-built facility is located next to the existing Captain Sir Tom Moore Building, and provides a modern space with ‘state-of-the-art’ equipment to offer new MRI and CT services to more than 30,000 patients a year. The £11 million project is the final part of a three-phase £16 million Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme, which has seen the refurbishment and modernisation of existing space in the Nightingale Building at Halton Hospital, and the creation of the Halton Health Hub, in Runcorn Shopping City.
Since the programme’s launch, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals (WHH) has delivered over 90,000 additional diagnostic tests.
Nikhil Khashu, Chief Executive of WHH, told colleagues and invited guests – including the Mayor of Halton and local MPs – at the opening: “I am delighted to officially open this fantastic new facility, and mark the completion of the third phase of Warrington and Halton Diagnostics Centre. Creating modern, accessible facilities like this not only helps us see our patients quicker and improves access to vital diagnostic tests, but also helps speed up identifying a range of health conditions including heart and lung disease, and cancer. By increasing our capacity we can place an even greater focus on early intervention.”
The event also marked a significant milestone as the one millionth patient to receive treatment at a CDC in Cheshire and Merseyside was seen on the day. David Titchfield, from Lymm, attended for an MRI scan, and said he was very impressed with the modern and well-equipped facility, praising the ‘caring, considerate, and efficient’ staff.
The new facility features an MRI scanner that utilises AI technology to significantly reduce scan times – in some cases by up to 70% – and a CT scanner that delivers up to 81% less radiation than older models.