Work starts on Yeovil Diagnostic Centre
It will host radiology and endoscopy services once finished late this year
Work has started to build a new diagnostic centre at Yeovil District Hospital.
A breaking ground ceremony has been held at the site featuring the chief executive of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Peter Lewis, clinicians, plus representatives from the group InHealth, which will provide radiology and endoscopy services inside.
The centre, which is expected to open in late 2024, will provide over 70,000 diagnostic tests and outpatient appointments a year.
Mr Jonathan Ockrim, a consultant colorectal surgeon and Somerset FT’s clinical lead for the Yeovil Community Diagnostic Centre said: "This new community diagnostic centre (CDC) is the latest in a number of high profile building projects that are happening at Yeovil District Hospital at the moment, which is fantastic to see.
“In fact, I’ve worked at the hospital for 21 years and have never seen such an incredible investment in new buildings and facilities at the hospital, which is giving us much more capacity to care for and treat our patients.
“Within the new CDC we’ll have a new audiology unit, a cardio diagnostic centre, as well as an imaging suite so we can get quicker and better quality CT and MRI scans for our patients.
“In additional the centre will house a brand new state-of-the-art endoscopy unit, which will help to relieve the pressure on our busy endoscopy unit in the main part of the hospital, so it can prioritise emergencies. We also expect waiting times for an endoscopy to be greatly reduced."
The centre will also have several extra clinic rooms and a conference room. It is being built to benefit patients in Somerset and north west Dorset, seven days a week.
In addition to the upcoming Yeovil Diagnostic Centre and the Taunton Diagnostic Centre that opened in September 2021, the trust has also opened two ophthalmology diagnostic centres – one in Yeovil town centre and the other on the Blackbrook Business Park in Taunton.
David Shannon, director of strategy and digital development at Somerset FT, said: “All of these facilities expand our diagnostic capacity and mean that patients do not need to go into our busy hospitals for some diagnostic tests, and capacity within our busy hospitals is freed up for patients who require more complex care and those who are in hospital.”