Gloucester's new £15m Quayside diagnostic centre opens

The new centre will offer appointments 12 hours a day, seven days a week

A new £15m diagnostic centre has opened its doors.

The new facility at Quayside in Gloucester will offer an extra 80,000 diagnostic appointments a year.

It will be offering appointments 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Professor Mark Pietroni, from Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said offering more tests at a faster rate would give patients the "best possible chance" of recovery.

Once fully operational, the centre will offer a wide range of diagnostic tests including X-Rays, MRI, CT, ultrasound, ECHO and DEXA scanning.

The centre has already being offering scans for patients since late 2023, providing around 400 CT and MRI scans, seven days a week.

Prof Pietroni, deputy CEO, director for safety and medical director at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is leading the programme, said that seeing modular units for the testing being craned onto the site in the city centre was "exciting".

He said: "The units were swiftly put to good use. We have been working with Cheltenham-based Cobalt Medical Charity, and together, have been able to significantly increase the number of MRI, and CT scans we can offer.

"Offering appointments 12 hours a day, seven days a week, means that we are making it easier and quicker for patients to get the tests and scans they need, helping them to get faster diagnoses."

The centre aims to provide multiple types of scan or appointment in one visit, to patients who need it.

It is hoped this will help people avoid having multiple appointments and will also reduce waiting times for diagnosis, in addition to reducing the strain on the county's two main hospitals.