Hundreds of extra health checks now available to patients

Up to 255 blood tests will be delivered each week at a drop-in service running at Mansfield Community Hospital from this week.

It’s the first in a series of ‘accelerated’ checks that will be delivered while plans progress to build the county’s first ‘Community Diagnostics Centre’ in Mansfield.

The tests will be available between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, with patients needing a referral from their GP to access the tests. They will initially be offered as a drop-in service before being made available as pre-booked appointments over the coming weeks.

These fast-tracked health checks are being rolled-out as part of the next phase of Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ work to bring Nottinghamshire’s first Community Diagnostics Centre or ‘CDC’ to Mansfield.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals announced plans earlier this year to build the purpose-built ‘Community Diagnostics Centre’ – or CDC – where a derelict building currently stands alongside Mansfield Community Hospital in Stockwell Gate.

The multimillion-pound plans went on to receive national funding in February, prior to them receiving the vital planning approval they needed to progress in April.

Once built, the Centre will become a ‘one-stop shop’ for patients from across Nottinghamshire to access the tests and investigations they need in a single visit, reducing the time it takes for patients to be referred to help them receive an ‘all clear’ or diagnosis sooner.

By the end of 2023, almost 500 extra blood tests, MRI and ultrasound scans will have been available to patients each week as part of this ‘accelerated’ phase of activity linked to the project.

The full Community Diagnostics Centre is expected to open its doors to patients in 2025.

David Ainsworth, the Director of Strategy and Partnerships for Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “Community Diagnostic Centres are redefining the way patients access the vital tests and health checks they need across the country and we are proud to be bringing Nottinghamshire’s first Community Diagnostics Centre to our area.

“By thinking creatively and working alongside our NHS colleagues across Nottinghamshire and even nationally, we are delighted to be able to start delivering these vital health checks here in Mansfield sooner from as early as October.

“That is great news for local people, as it means that tens of thousands more patients will be able to benefit from these life-saving tests and checks – long before the bricks and mortar of the full CDC is in place.”

Getting a rapid diagnosis for conditions such as cancer will help patients access the treatments they need more quickly – something that could be genuinely life-saving, as earlier diagnosis is key to improving survival rates and quality of life for those suffering chronic diseases.

Checks available at the full Centre once it is developed will include a host of X-rays, scans and other tests for a range of other conditions, including cancer and other long-term conditions – like heart and lung disease.

As well as delivering tens of thousands of additional health checks each month, the Centre will also create 120 jobs for local people in a range of clinical and non-clinical roles.

Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “It’s fantastic news that the Trust has been able to bring forward access to additional testing capacity ahead of the permanent CDC opening its doors.

“Local residents will benefit from shorter waiting times for blood test and scans delivered from convenient locations.”

For more information about the Trust’s work to bring Nottinghamshire’s first CDC to Mansfield, please visit www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/cdc.