A landmark diagnostics centre that will provide vital testing for up to 30,000 patients per year and has created more than 50 new jobs opens next week.
The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Oldham welcomes its first patients on Monday 19 December – just a year after granting planning permission to build the centre on vacant land at Salmon Fields in Royton.
Oldham CDC is another project from the ambitious programme of works in the Creating a Better Place plan, which is ensuring Oldham is a great place to live, work and visit.
Creating a Better Place also includes developments at Spindles and the cultural quarter of Oldham town centre that, as a set of programmes, could deliver 2,000 new homes designed for a range of different budgets and needs, 1,000 new jobs and 100 new apprenticeships, and aligns with Council priorities to be the Greenest Borough
Councillor Amanda Chadderton, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “We are proud to have worked alongside Northern Care Alliance on this important centre which will play a huge role in our local community.
“It will bring a first-class health facility to Oldham – giving people across the region convenient access to care with earlier diagnosis and shorter waiting times.
“The site is flexible to accommodate the future expansion of services and will help to create a wide range of quality jobs and training opportunities. It’s a win-win for all involved.”
Barney Schofield, Director of Planning and Delivery at the Northern Care Alliance, said: “This new centre will be a tremendous asset for the people of Oldham and well beyond, helping us to achieve our ambitions of saving lives and improving lives.
“Too many people wait too long for tests and have to unnecessarily come to a hospital site for a test. The new centre will help us to make great improvements to our patient care.”
The £10 million centre is one of the first six CDCs in the region and one of the country’s largest out-of-hospital diagnostic centres.
The CDC is part of £2.3 billion national investment to open up to 160 CDCs by 2025 closer to patients’ homes, helping to diagnose a range of conditions including cancer, heart and lung disease quicker and ensuring patients are treated faster.
The new one-stop-shops for checks, scans and tests will provide up to 9 million additional tests a year by 2025.
Oldham CDC will open seven days a week, 8am to 8pm, and provide the latest cutting-edge diagnostic imaging technology, heart and lung tests and blood tests. Patients are referred to the centre by their GP or healthcare professional.
The development has involved several partners, including the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Alliance Medical Limited, NHS England, NHS Greater Manchester and Oldham Council.