Green light for £25m NHS diagnostic centre

The new centre will be open seven days a week

A £25m NHS diagnostic centre is set to open next year after planning approval was granted.

The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will open on an unused area of the Upton Hospital site in Slough, Berkshire, in early 2025.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said the centre would be open seven days a week for 12 hours a day and provide up to 150,000 extra tests per year for the community.

James Clarke, the trust's chief strategy officer, said the centre would "offer convenient access to diagnostic tests, reducing hospital visits and enabling early detection and treatment of serious illnesses".

The new centre will have MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners that will improve outcomes for patients with conditions including cancer and heart disease, the trust said.

The centre will be a standalone facility on the Upton Hospital site

The centre is also designed to alleviate pressure on hospitals and reduce health inequalities, which leader of Slough Borough Council Dexter Smith said was a well documented issue in the area.

"I am confident that the proposed CDC will have a positive impact in contributing to reducing the health inequalities in the town, improving overall health outcomes and delivering a better, more personalised, diagnostic experience for patients," he said.

The centre is being developed on an unused and recently demolished area of the Upton Hospital site.

It is part of a network of facilities across the country to improve access to diagnostic tests and scans.

It will be accessible for all patients, and will be a five-minute walk from a bus stop and 10 from Slough railway station.