A DIAGNOSTIC centre has opened in Weston-super-Mare making thousands more tests available in the town.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and InHealth celebrated the availability of thousands more diagnostic tests at the opening of Weston-super-Mare’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) on October 1 on Coniston Cres.

Since first opening in April 2024, 5000 local people in Weston-super-Mare and local North Somerset have benefitted from additional local diagnostic tests.

The expectation is that the CDC will offer up to 15,000 diagnostic tests to be carried out at Weston CDC in 2024/25.

The availability of the range of radiology, respiratory and cardiology physiology tests means that more patients can be diagnosed sooner and begin their treatment.

The centre has also improved local access to diagnostic tests.

Previously patients may have had to travel to Weston General Hospital, or even as far as Bristol for diagnosis.

The centre, run in partnership with UHBW and InHealth was opened by Dr. Michael Marsh, NHS England South West Medical Director, Maria Kane UHBW and NBT, joint chief executive officer, Professor Stuart Walker, UHBW Hospitals managing director, and Amelia Staniland, InHealth chief operating officer with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Maria Kane, joint CEO of UHBW, said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to congratulate, and thank InHealth, local GPs, system health partners and colleagues who come together to deliver services for local people in Weston.

“With more tests available locally, we are helping improve access and enable people to receive more timely treatment and getting the care they need.

“This is part of our strategic programme to deliver on our goal of reducing health inequalities and provide high quality, safe, joined up health services for local people in Weston and North Somerset.”

Amelia Staniland, chief operating officer – CDCs of InHealth, said: “We’re delighted to be here today, to mark the official opening of Weston CDC - this is one of more than 20 InHealth CDCs that InHealth has created in partnership with the NHS and we’re proud to have worked in partnership with UHBW to provide key clinical services to the local population through this new centre.

“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 it’s fantastic to be doing that here in Weston.

“It really epitomises the essence of what CDCs are all about – taking high quality healthcare services and putting them in the heart of communities, supporting health inequalities and giving local people much easier access outside of hospital settings.”

The centre is located next to the For All Healthy Living Centre, which is also the base for Horizon Health Centre GP practice in the Bourneville area of Weston-super-Mare.

The CDC is one of five procured by the NHS in the South West under a partnership deal with InHealth, which will deliver 200,000-plus scans a year at an annual cost of around £30m.

Two other CDCs are already operational, at Bristol and Torbay, with the final two under construction at Yeovil and Redruth.

Mobile units have been used to provide scans during construction of the permanent buildings.

The South West strategy of offering more diagnostics from community and accessible sites means hospitals will be able to focus more on complex cases and on urgent and emergency care, with less chance that patients have their appointments postponed at times of high demand.