Dates confirmed for the start of the build of the Community Diagnostic Centre in Grimsby

Work will begin next month on creating a Community Diagnostic Centre in the heart of Grimsby to serve patients of surrounding areas.

The NHS has confirmed that the conversion of units in Freshney Place will begin in December this year, with a view to opening the centre next summer.

Once open, the centre will provide a range of non-urgent test facilities for local people.

Alex Seale, North Lincolnshire Place Director, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Our ambition to provide 150,000 additional community diagnostic appointments a year to communities across North East Lincolnshire is progressing well.

“Work is due to start on the conversion of a new Hub in the heart of Freshney Place Shopping Centre, Grimsby, early next month and is due to be fully open by next summer, offering services including non-obstetric ultrasounds and a mix of pathology and physiological tests, such as ECGs and X Rays.

“It’s important to us that we are able to offer our patients these additional services as soon as possible and so, in line with the national guidance, we are working with our North East Lincolnshire Place colleagues to identify alternative locations for these services to be provided to patients prior to the new centre being operational.”

Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is really good news for Freshney Place. Several new shops have opened in the shopping centre recently, including New Look, One Beyond and independent shops. We’ve relocated other shops within the centre to help prepare the way for the new leisure and market development. The centre’s footfall is improving month on month, and the opening of the CDC will be really good to help diversify the town centre offer too.”

As previously reported, GPs will be able to refer patients to a centre so they can access life-saving checks closer to home and be diagnosed for a range of conditions, rather than travelling to hospital.

The centres are not only more convenient for patients but are also more efficient for staff and free up clinicians’ time to help further cut NHS waiting lists.