Birmingham’s first Community Diagnostic Centre opens to patients

Birmingham’s first NHS Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) officially opened this week. The £2.18 million centre will provide local residents with a one-stop shop for appointments to diagnose an array of illnesses as part of work to combat the impact of growing waiting lists across the NHS. The CDC was unveiled by Councillor Mariam Khan, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, and patient Bradley-Paul Hunt attending the centre for a heart scan.

Located at Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, more than 45,000 patients each year will benefit from the city’s first CDC, which provides the latest cutting-edge diagnostic imaging technology for X-ray, MRI and ultrasound, alongside heart investigations and access to blood tests.

Open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, the CDC provides convenient access and free parking for patients referred by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB).

The Washwood Heath CDC is delivered in collaboration with Birmingham and Solihull (BaS) LIFTCo and Management Services Provider Prime plc.

Hannah Cashmore, Director at BaS LIFT said: “It has been a privilege to bring our experience of developing and investing in high-quality healthcare facilities to this project. BaS LIFT and Prime, in partnership with the NHS, delivered the original Washwood facility, which has proven to be a valuable healthcare asset in this area of Birmingham. As property specialists, BaS and Prime have worked alongside an expert and multi-stakeholder team of clinicians, public sector partners, designers, and contractors to drive delivery of this facility at pace to align with NHS England’s ambitious national Community Diagnostic Centre programme.

“The introduction of this service aligns with BaS LIFTs original vision for this facility, which was to integrate healthcare delivery through the co-location of services to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of the local community. The opening of this CDC represents another successful delivery of high-quality health and care spaces by the BaS LIFT and Prime team.

“We would like to congratulate everyone involved in bringing this project to fruition.”

CDCs are part of the Government’s £2.3 billion national investment to open up to 160 CDCs by 2025 closer to patients’ homes, helping to diagnose a range of conditions including cancer, heart and lung disease quicker and ensuring patients are treated faster.

The Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre is one of the biggest centres in England, providing a comprehensive range of diagnostic services in addition to the GP and community services already available.