Monday 4 March 2024

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has received planning approval to commence work on a brand new £25 million state-of-the-art NHS diagnostic centre.

Planning has been granted by Slough Borough Council and the Final Business Case (FBC) has been approved by the Trust’s Board, both subject to conditions.

The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is planned to open in Slough in early 2025 and will transform health services in the area with faster and easier access to diagnostic services for local people.

The centre will be open seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and will provide up to 150,000 extra tests per year for the local community. It will have access to the latest technology with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, computerised tomography (CT) scanners and ultrasounds, and will diagnose and improve outcomes for patients with conditions including cancer and heart disease.

The centre will also:  

• Help to reduce health inequalities – by locating the CDC in central Slough there will be an opportunity for communities who have poorer health outcomes to easily access high quality diagnostic tests.
• Help people avoid unnecessary hospital visits – increasing diagnostic capacity outside of acute hospitals means that they can focus on delivering urgent and emergency care more quickly for those who need it.
• Be easily accessible by public transport, minimising inconvenience for patients and reducing air pollution caused by travel.

James Clarke, Chief Strategy Officer, who is leading the project on behalf of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said “This centre will greatly benefit the community by offering convenient access to diagnostic tests, reducing hospital visits and enabling early detection and treatment of serious illnesses. Its services will enhance local health and support our longer-term strategy of reducing pressure and improving services at our main hospitals”.

Leader of Slough Borough Council, Councillor Smith said: “I welcome the approval of the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Upton Hospital. The health inequalities in Slough are well document, and I am confident that the proposed CDC will have a positive impact in contributing to reducing the health inequalities in the town; improving overall health outcomes and delivering a better, more personalised, diagnostic experience for patients.”

The centre is being developed on an unused and recently demolished area of the Upton Hospital site as a new standalone facility following national investment and is part of a network of facilities across the country to improve access to diagnostic tests and scans.

It will be accessible for all patients and is approximately a 10-minute walk from Slough railway station, with nearest bus stops a short five-minute walk away. A car park will also be available on the site.

Images credit: Murphy Philipps Associates LLP