New £25m NHS centre to speed up tests

Plans have been lodged for a multi-million pound Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Bilston to speed up access to medical tests and scans.

The proposed health and wellbeing unit, next to the WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams leisure centre, was chosen as the CDC's new home, subject to approval from the city council.

It is aimed at boosting existing services at New Cross Hospital, Cannock Hospital and Walsall Manor Hospital.

The proposal is to create a hub that combines community diagnostic services, primary care, family support and leisure services. The campus will improve health outcomes for people in wolverhampton and Walsall said City of Wolverhampton leader, Stephen Simkins.

The Wolverhampton and Walsall local authorities have teamed up with NHS trusts in their areas to secure £25m for the new facility.

Plans for a health and wellbeing facility, on the council-owned site, are already underway thanks to a £20m government grant used towards the Bilston Health & Regeneration Programme.

Construction is expected to start mid-2027 and be completed by the end of 2028.

Simkins added: "To secure this Community Diagnostic Centre is a huge feather in the cap for Bilston and Wolverhampton as a whole.

"We also want our traditional local centres to flourish, and this scheme builds substantially on the investment already made in Bilston in recent years."

Joe Chadwick-Bell, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's Group chief executive, said: "We are delighted the new Community Diagnostic Centre is closer towards becoming a reality, bringing high-quality diagnostic services closer to our patients and improving access to [medical] tests and scans across Wolverhampton and Walsall."

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