Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, has welcomed the news that Pitsea is to be the location of one of six new Community Diagnostic Centres which are part of the Government’s strategy to cut waiting lists.
Stephen Metcalfe has welcomed the news that South Basildon and East Thurrock will benefit from a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) opening this year.
This new centre will open in August 2023 and will provide up to 46,000 tests, checks and scans a year. It will boost the number of endoscopy rooms in the regions for cancer patients and offer potentially life-saving CT and MRI scans.
Backed by £2.3 billion in government funding, CDCs are based in convenient locations such as shopping centres, football stadiums and existing hospital or GP sites. The government aims to deliver up to 160 CDCs across England by 2025.
The announcement of 6 more CDCs across the country set to open by the end of the year will help to cut waiting times for elective procedures and cancer treatment, bringing down the backlog from COVID-19 and improving patient outcomes.
Following a referral from a GP or consultant, patients will be able to get their symptoms checked much closer to home and receive a diagnosis for a range of conditions such as cancer and heart or lung disease, rather than travelling to hospital. This is not only more convenient for patients, it is also more efficient for staff and will free up clinician time to help further cut the waiting lists.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “It is fantastic to see a new facility for the area. Community Diagnostic Centres are more convenient for patients and more efficient for the NHS. If we are going to cut the waiting lists that have increased since the pandemic, these centres are the way to do it.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I have pledged to cut waiting lists and these new community diagnostic centres will do exactly that. By offering checks, tests and scans closer to home, we can speed up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease and ensure patients get their treatment quickly.
These centres revolutionise the way the NHS delivers care and crucially, they are saving lives.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said: “We know early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes for patients, which is why these centres are so vital.
Based in the heart of communities, they are making it easier for people to access life-saving checks and cutting out unnecessary hospital visits.
They have already made a huge difference, delivering nearly 4 million tests, checks and scans since the programme started in July 2021, helping to deliver on the government’s commitment to cut waiting lists.”
