Diagnostic centre construction delayed by asbestos

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said there had been "challenges" posed by the former 1950s structure

The opening date of a new diagnostic centre in Nottinghamshire has been delayed because of asbestos, an NHS trust has said.

Mansfield Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is being constructed on the site of a former hospital with an original completion date of December 2025.

However, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the formal opening had been changed to April 2026 because of "challenges" refurbishing an old structure.

A spokesperson for the NHS trust said there was "more asbestos in the [former] building than anticipated".

Demolition of the former Victoria Hospital took place last summer

Following the demolition of the former Victoria Hospital last summer, construction has progressed and the project has now reached a key moment with the completion of the building's steel frame.

This milestone was marked with a traditional topping out ceremony on site, where colleagues, contractors and partners came together to sign the final beam and tighten the last bolt in celebration of the progress made.

Described as a "one-stop shop" diagnostic centre, it will offer earlier access to services including MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans.

The site was originally used for the Mansfield Workhouse, then the Victoria Hospital, and a permanent display in the new building will highlight this history.

The centre replaces an earlier hospital building and will recycle much of its material

The trust said due to the size of the project, the target date was "always provisional and has the potential to move".

The formal opening has been changed to April 2026 due to "challenges posed by working to refurbish a 1950s structure for modern purposes".

The new CDC building is now set to open in April 2026, with construction progressing on-site, a spokesperson added.

Dr James Thomas, the clinical lead for the project at the NHS trust, said: "With any large-scale project, particularly when it involves the refurbishment of an old building such as this, there are often unforeseen challenges that only become clear once construction work is under way."

The completion of the building's final steel frame was marked with a traditional topping out ceremony on site