Construction of a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Newmarket Community Hospital in West Suffolk, UK, has commenced.
The start of construction was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony, which saw the participation of key stakeholders, including West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT), and construction partners Morgan Sindall Construction, JSH, Sweco, and KLH.
Morgan Sindall’s Eastern Counties business was selected for this project through the Procure 23 (P23) framework for the design and construction of NHS projects.
The P23 framework, now in its fourth generation, is part of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Construction Works and Associated Services 2 (CWAS2) procurement framework, which ensures NHS capital works adhere to the government's Construction principles.
This project received nearly £15m ($18.95m) from the national CDC programme.
The construction phase of the CDC, which includes demolishing an existing building, is set to be completed by October this year. This CDC is expected to start serving patients by the end of 2024.
The contractor is implementing its Intelligent Solutions approach for the 1,000m² CDC, incorporating modern building techniques including off-site manufacturing to expedite construction.
In addition, the project will feature green building aspects such as constant air volume (CAV) heating and cooling and heat recovery units to regulate the facility’s temperature and deployment of 123 photovoltaic (PV) panels.
The construction of the CDC is part of a national programme, which aims to enhance local diagnostic testing access.
It will allow residents in the west of the region to quickly access various tests, including CT, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, cardiology and lung function.
This development aims to shorten overall waiting times and duration between referral, appointments, testing, results, and the start of any necessary treatment.
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Dr Ewen Cameron said: “This facility will greatly expand our diagnostic capacity, meaning we will provide the right care, at the right time, and in the right place, even more quickly, which will ultimately and most importantly, improve outcomes for our patients.”
The construction phase of the Newmarket CDC is expected to be completed by October this year.
