A new £5.8million Croslands Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is set to open at Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow-in-Furness.
The CDC, which is run by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) and the Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative, will help patients who need diagnostic tests to be seen sooner and in a vastly improved environment.
With an MRI Scanning Suite, prep and recovery areas and three clinic rooms, the centre will provide the local community with quicker and easier access to a number of potentially life-saving tests and treatments for a range of conditions.
Andrew Stephenson CBE, Chair, UHMBT, said: “We are thrilled that the Croslands CDC is ready to open, following some incredibly hard work by teams across our Trust and within our partner organisations.
“These centres are designed to reduce waiting times and make essential health tests more accessible - transforming the way healthcare is delivered and ensuring faster, more convenient care for everyone.
“This is a huge investment at FGH which we know will bring real benefits to the health and wellbeing of both patients and colleagues in the local area.”
The opening of Croslands CDC follows the recent openings of CDCs at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal and Heysham Health Centre, which have all been supported by national CDC funding to improve and increase diagnostic services across Morecambe Bay.
Patients are referred to the CDCs by their GP.
Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive, UHMBT, said: “The Croslands CDC is a fantastic new resource for local people, helping them to get the diagnosis and care they need as soon as possible.
“We’re really pleased to be working with our colleagues at the Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative to run the centre.
“I would like to thank everyone who has played a role in delivering this fantastic facility, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this development will bring to our local communities.”
The centre is expected to start welcoming patients in early August.