Bristol NHS community health testing centre set to open

The diagnostic centre will aim to reduce pressure on local health services

A new health centre, capable of providing 45,000 diagnostic procedures a year, is set to open.

North Bristol NHS Trust's Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will be based at Cribbs Causeway from April.

Run by independent healthcare provider InHealth, it will aim to reduce pressure on local healthcare systems.

"We're excited to have this key facility in place to support thousands of local people to get the care they need, sooner," said Dr Joanne Medhurst.

The CDC will initially consist of mobile units, before transferring into a permanent building later in the year.

It will be capable of offering multiple tests and procedures such as endoscopy and respiratory, as well as x-ray, MRI and CT scans.

Dr Medhurst, chief medical officer at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, said: "Minimising waiting times for diagnosis and treatment is a significant priority for our health and care system."

Another CDC is set to open soon in Weston-super-Mare, run by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), again in partnership with InHealth.

The company's chief executive, Geoff Searle, said: "Across our nationwide network of CDCs, we've seen the real difference and positive impact that centres like these can bring for patients, focussed on improving health outcomes, so we are proud of what our partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust will deliver for local people."

The government plans to open about 160 CDCs across the country by 2025.