A new £25m state-of-the-art NHS diagnostic centre could soon be coming to Slough.
Residents are invited by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust to share their thoughts on plans for the planned community diagnostic centre.
Open seven days a week and 12 hours a day, the centre would offer services including MRI, CT, and ultrasound scans as well as tests for lung and heart conditions, blood tests and x-rays.
It would be developed on a currently unused area at Upton Hospital as a new standalone facility.
Programme lead Nigel Foster said: “The centre is fantastic news for our local communities, and will mean that people who need more than one diagnostic procedure may have them on the same day. This will help to diagnose conditions and illnesses, including cancer, more quickly.
“Not only will the increased testing help to improve the health of the local population and meet the growing demand for diagnostic services, it will also help free up capacity at Wexham Park Hospital.”
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If approved, it will be developed by the trust alongside partners in the broader Frimley health and care system.
The centre’s services would be available not only to Slough residents but also those in the wider Windsor and east Berkshire communities.
Director of operations at Slough NHS Frimley Sangeeta Saran said: “The new centre will play a vital role in enabling us to meet local people’s needs in the future and, crucially, mean they spend as little time as possible waiting for the diagnoses they need.”
The trust aims for the new centre to improve health outcomes by allowing swifter access to diagnostic tests and treatment, slashing waiting lists and increasing capacity.
It is further intended to reduce health inequalities and help people avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
The centre is expected to have easy public transport access.
Members of the community are able to share their thoughts on the plans between September 25 and October 8 – either online or at one of two drop-in events.
The drop-ins will be held at Upton Hospital on Wednesday, September 27 between 4pm and 7pm in the Garden Clinic Meeting Room and on Thursday, September 28 from 10.30am to 1.30pm in the Boardroom.
Alternatively, residents can visit https://frimley.ntropydata.co.uk/sloughcdc to share their thoughts online.
Feedback from this consultation period will help inform the eventual planning application.
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