Community diagnostic centres in Solihull and Hereford approved

A new centre at The County Hospital in Hereford has been approved

Two community diagnostic centres are set to open in the winter in the West Midlands, reducing the need for hospital visits, the government says.

A facility on a retail site in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, will deliver more than 116,000 additional tests, checks and scans a year.

The centre at The County Hospital in Hereford is to deliver more than 38,000 extra ones.

A total of £2.3bn of government funds will pay for new facilities.

The Department of Health and Social Care said 106 centres were already in operation in a variety of settings, including shopping centres and university campuses.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has approved the two in the region.

'Frees up time'

The Chelmsley Wood centre will offer access to MRI, CT and X-ray scans, along with cardiology and respiratory diagnostics.

Following a referral from a GP or consultant, patients could get symptoms checked closer to home and receive a diagnosis for a range of conditions, such as cancer, heart and lung disease, the government department added.

This was more efficient for staff and "frees up clinician time to help further cut the waiting lists", it added.

The Hereford centre will offer MRI, CT and X-ray scans, alongside ultrasound and respiratory checks, alongside blood tests.

It is one of six extra new one-stop-shops for checks, scans and tests opening in England before the end of the year, with the government spending £2.3bn to deliver up to 160 across the country by 2025.

Mr Barclay said the new centres would "make it easier for people to access life-saving checks and cut out unnecessary hospital visits".

He added: "They have already made a huge difference, delivering nearly four million tests, checks and scans since the programme started in July 2021, helping to deliver on the government's commitment to cut waiting lists."