Multi-million pound funding bid approved for Mansfield Community Diagnostics Centre

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust announced it had submitted plans to Mansfield Council last month, seeking permission for the purpose-built ‘Community Diagnostics Centre’ alongside its existing Mansfield Community Hospital, on Stockwell Gate.

The plans had been subject to both a national funding bid and local planning approval, prior to today’s national announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care confirming government funding

had been secured.

The plans, for the site of the derelict Victoria Hospital, which will be demolished, are now available to view in full on the Mansfield Council website – see bit.ly/3lyzhhD – with the proposal currently out for public consultation, ahead of going before council planning committee members in sprint.

If approved, the centre will become a ‘one-stop shop’ for patients to access the tests and investigations they need in a single visit, helping to give patients an answer to their concerns – including the ‘all clear’

or a diagnosis – sooner.

It is hoped the centre – which could open as early as autumn 2024 – will welcome thousands of patients each year, as well as creating hundreds of new jobs across a range of clinical and non-clinical roles at the Centre.

David Ainsworth, SFH director of strategy and partnerships, said: “CDCs are redefining the way patients access tests across the country and we’re delighted the government has thrown their support behind this exciting project.

“Our NHS staff are already providing the latest advancements in diagnostic treatment and care and – if approved – these plans will boost those efforts and ensure local people can access life-saving tests, checks and treatment they need even more quickly.

“While there is still some way to go before those plans are finalised, this funding announcement is great news for patients across Nottinghamshire, as well as for the hundreds of people who we hope to recruit into the medical, nursing and support roles we will need to run this exciting new facility.”

‘Rapid diagnosis offers reassurance to patients’

A key driver for the centre is to slash waiting times for patients to access the checks they need. Getting a rapid diagnosis for conditions such as cancer will help patients access the treatments they need more quickly – something that could be genuinely life-saving, as earlier diagnosis is key to improving survival rates and quality of life for those suffering chronic diseases.

Checks available at the centre will include a host of X-rays, scans and tests for a range of other conditions, including cancer and other long-term conditions – like heart and lung disease.

Mansfield CDC is one of 19 awarded Government funding today.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Rapid diagnosis offers reassurance to patients, reduces waiting lists, and, crucially, saves lives. CDCs have been fundamental to this effort, delivering more than three million extra tests which are helping to diagnose conditions from cancer to lung disease more quickly across the country.

“The new centres will take us even further, utilising cutting-edge MRI, CT and X-ray machine to transform the way we deliver care closer to people’s homes helping tens of thousands of people.”