Construction has begun on a new diagnostic centre at Yeovil District Hospital, which was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by key partners. We look at what to expect
Located on the Yeovil District Hospital site, the new stand-alone diagnostic centre will benefit patients in Somerset and north west Dorset by providing quicker diagnostic tests. When it opens in late 2024, it will provide a sevenday service for radiology, endoscopy, cardiology and audiology departments, and offer around 70,000 diagnostic tests and outpatient appointments per year. Property developers Prime PLC collaborated with Darwin Group to design and develop the sustainable facility, which will aim for net zero embodied carbon and a 267% biodiversity net gain. Meanwhile, Darwin Group’s offsite modular construction methods ensures the project will be delivered up to 60% faster and with up to 90% less waste than traditional building methods, making it one of the most efficient and sustainable options in the marketplace.
The facility will take shape quickly, with 73 modules being delivered and installed overnight over the course of eight days, transforming the estate at pace, whilst minimising disruption to the busy active hospital site. Within the new CDC, there will be an audiology unit and a cardio diagnostic centre, as well as an imaging suite offering quick CT and MRI scans for patients. In addition, the centre will house a stateof- the-art endoscopy unit, which will help to relieve the pressure on the busy endoscopy unit in the main part of the hospital, so it can prioritise emergencies. As a result, waiting times for endoscopies are expected to be greatly reduced. The centre will also have a number of additional clinic rooms, as well as a conference room at the top for various clinical meetings to take place.
Dr Cen Thomas, a consultant radiologist at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said ‘Rapid access to diagnostic tests will help save lives and this new community diagnostic centre for Yeovil and the surrounding region will help to achieve this.’
Jonathan Ockrim, a consultant colorectal surgeon and Somerset FT’s clinical lead for the Yeovil Community Diagnostic Centre, praised the investment in the new facilities: ‘I’ve worked at the hospital for 21 years and have never seen such an incredible investment, which gives us much more capacity to care for and treat our patients.’
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive Peter Lewis was joined at the groundbreaking ceremony by clinicians at the trust, along with representatives from InHealth, which will provide radiology and endoscopy services, and Prime PLC, the trust’s strategic estates partner. Members of M&G Investment were also present. Alan
Davidson, healthcare director of Darwin Group, expressed his pride in contributing to improved healthcare outcomes through this project. He said: ‘The projects we deliver help to transform patient and staff experience and improve healthcare outcomes for tens of thousands of people every year, and this diagnostic centre will be no exception. ‘It’s always great to see work getting underway and to hear first-hand about the impact that the facility will have on the local community.’ When complete, the Yeovil Diagnostic centre will be one of five new CDCs in the south west, as part of InHealth’s partnership with NHS England. Geoff Searle, CEO of InHealth commented: ‘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 Yeovil.
‘Our mission at InHealth is to make healthcare better and improve access to services like the ones that are going to be delivered here, as well as reduce the time people are waiting for a diagnosis and care, so it really will be a fantastic healthcare facility and something that InHealth is already very proud of and very much looking forward to opening.’
