The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) welcomed a ministerial visit to the Bishop’s Stortford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, on Monday (4 March) to showcase the services available as part of the CDC programme.
The Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE MP, Minister of State (Minister for Health and Secondary Care) attended alongside Julie Marson, MP for Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford, to see the modernised X-ray rooms and ultrasound services, and to meet with PAHT colleagues. This is part of PAHT’s plans to support quicker and more local access to diagnostic tests close to patients’ homes.
As part of the CDC programme, the services provided at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, will include extended hours for cardiology, ultrasound and X-ray. Extended hours for non-obstetric (non-pregnancy) ultrasound have begun to be provided, with additional hours to be available this year (2024). There will also be additional hours for X-ray this year (2024).
Additionally, PAHT held a public consultation in January regarding its separate proposals for a Community Diagnostic Centre at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping.
Planned to be open from summer 2025, there will be extended opening times and additional equipment at the St Margaret’s Hospital CDC, including:
- Two additional computerised tomography (CT) scanners;
- Extended hours for X-rays;
- New ultrasound equipment;
- New cardiology equipment;
- New respiratory equipment;
- Relocated MRI scanner; and
- More phlebotomists to be recruited – increasing the number of blood tests that can be carried out
Jim McLeish, director of quality improvement at PAHT, who attended the visit, said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Stephenson and Julie Marson MP to Herts and Essex Hospital.
“It was fantastic to showcase the diagnostic services we provide to improve the experience for our patients, enabling our patients to be seen more quickly and closer to their homes. It was also an opportunity to discuss our next plans for modern, integrated, outstanding healthcare to support our community.”