Midlands set to receive life-saving screening hubs

Four new medical screening centres, otherwise known as ‘one-stop-shops’, will open in the Midlands, in a bid to reduce diagnosis and treatment wait times.

Due to be based in Corby, Northampton, Mansfield and Telford, the new screening centres mean tens of thousands of patients in the region could be granted access to life-saving tests including MRI scans, CT scans, blood tests and cardiology appointments.

Overall 19 additional hubs are due to open across the country which, will bring the number of screening centres in England to 143 – this is over 80% of the government’s target to roll out up to 160 centres across the country by 2025 to perform nine million tests a year.

Set to open this year, the centres will provide an extra 261,000 tests, checks and scans annually, which is a huge increase after diagnostic services and cancer screening was severely impacted by the pandemic – during 2020 36% of cancer screening checks were delayed, according to a study reported by The ASCO Post.

The ‘one-stop-shops’, backed by £2.3bn in government funding, are based in shopping centres and football stadiums allowing people to access tests quickly.

At the moment, there are 92 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) across England – the national’s leading science-based service organisation that protects public health.

Steve Barclay, Health, and Social Care Secretary said: ‘Rapid diagnosis offers reassurance to patients, reduces waiting lists, and crucially saves lives.

‘CDCs have been fundamental to this effort, delivering over 3 million extra tests which are helping to diagnose conditions from cancer to lung disease more quickly across the country.

‘The new centres will take us even further, utilising cutting-edge MRI, CT and X-ray machines to transform the way we deliver care closer to people’s homes helping tens of thousands of people.’

As well as creating new screening centres to help ease pressures off the NHS, dozens of new surgical spaces are also being constructed to bring down waiting times. An estimated 780,000 additional surgeries and outpatient appointments will be provided at 37 new surgical hubs, 10 expanded existing hubs and 81 new theatres across England.

The new centres have been announced as A&E and cancer staff in the NHS are rumoured to be joining nurses in future walkouts.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are said to be considering escalating strike action over a major pay dispute, as the government have argued that pay is set by an independent body. The union is thinking about staging a 48-hour strike, which could begin in weeks and be comprised of nurses from A&E, intensive care, and cancer wards.

Last week nurses and ambulance staff took part in the biggest strike in NHS history however, they’re no current dates set for future industrial action.  

Photo by jesse orrico