Health committee to be asked to back ‘one-stop-shop’ new Mansfield diagnostics centre

The major new project, led by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, was awarded Government funding last month.

Overall, NHS bosses expect the project to bring an investment of about £20 million to the town.

Its aim is to provide a “one-stop-shop” for patients to access tests and investigations in a single visit.

SFH says the Mansfield Community Diagnostic Centre, which would be built alongside the existing Stockwell Gate community hospital, on the site of the derelict Victoria Hospital, which would be demolished, could welcome its first patients in autumn 2024.

Once open, the trust hopes it will welcome thousands of patients each year and create hundreds of jobs in clinical and non-clinical roles.

Now members of Nottinghamshire Council’s health scrutiny committee will discuss the proposals ahead of a crucial planning meeting later this year.

A presentation on the plans will be made by the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board during the March 28 meeting.

Councillors will be asked to give the project their backing ahead of an expected Mansfield Council planning committee decision later in the spring.

Papers published ahead of the meeting say the site, which would be open 12 hours a day, every day, will “increase diagnostic capacity across a range of key tests”, including MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasounds, endoscopies and X-Rays.

Lucy Dadge, ICB director of integration, said in a report: “Over the past five years, demand for diagnostic services in England has risen at a greater rate than increases in diagnostic capacity.

“This is reflected locally and has been exacerbated by Covid, with increased waiting times for key tests.

“While good progress is being made in reducing backlogs and waiting times, additional capacity is required to accelerate the reduction and futureproof services to further predicted increases in demand.”

She said the building will work alongside SFH’s King’s Mill Hospital and be “most advantageous” to patients aged 65 and above, and people in deprived communities and from minority ethnic backgrounds.

She said: “[This] will provide new capacity to the NHS and as such a significant new workforce will need to be recruited and trained.

“About 160 new staff across a range of clinical and administrative areas will be required to run it.”