Salisbury and Swindon health centres benefitting from £14m boost
New facilities are coming to health care sites in both parts of the county
Patients across Wiltshire and Swindon are getting earlier and closer access to diagnostic care thanks to a £14 million injection from the local NHS.
It means patients can access the services they need sooner and closer to home.
The cash boost means new services will be put in place at the Salisbury Health Clinic and West Swindon Health Centre, to help the thousands of people needed diagnostic care.
Having services such as ultrasounds, echocardiograms and MRI scans based in the community means people awaiting diagnosis, including those with symptoms that could be cancer, can be seen quicker and begin any required treatment sooner.
The Salisbury site will benefit from new cardiac and ultrasound suites, while a state-of-the-art endoscopy unit is set to be installed at the Swindon centre.
Dr Amanda Webb, Chief Medical Officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“We know that waiting for clinical investigations to happen can be a very anxious and worrying time for patients.
“These new centres are helping us to reduce that stress and strain, as we can now see more patients quicker and often in a location that is not only closer to home, but also kitted out with the same cutting-edge equipment found in our larger hospitals.
“Most importantly, these centres are enabling us to spot illnesses, including serious, life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, much earlier than before, which means treatment can also begin earlier, giving patients the best chance of a more positive outcome.”
Claire Thompson, Chief Officer, Improvements and Partnerships, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“This is a truly exciting time for our region, and one that promises to have real, tangible benefits for local people, especially those patients awaiting an important, potentially life changing, diagnosis.”