New centre for community care officially opens in Tameside

A NEW diagnostic care centre at a Tameside retail park has received a seal of approval from a local MP and government minister.

The centre opened its doors in the summer at Crown Point North Shopping Park in Denton.

But the official opening took place on Wednesday (October 2) as Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and MP for Denton and Gorton, was joined by NHS Trust, council and independent healthcare provider leaders.

Mr Gwynne said the new centre was an example of the government’s priorities of focussing on prevention, bringing more care into the community, and reducing health inequalities.

Work to convert the former O2 and Tui Holiday Superstore units into the South East Manchester Community Diagnostic Centre began last year and patients were welcomed for the first time in September.

It has been developed by Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with InHealth – the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic solutions.

Patients from Tameside, Glossop, Stockport and the High Peak will be able to access services at the centre by being referred by a clinician.

Services include MRI, CT, DEXA, Echocardiogram and Health Screening, with bosses saying that additional tests are likely to be added as the centre expands in the future.

With funding provided by NHS England, it is estimated there will be 25,000 appointments in the first year, which will be scaled up to 36,000 in year five and 50,000 by year 10.

Bosses also hope that the diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions – including cancer and heart disease – will become quicker as a result of the centre.

Jonathan O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer at Tameside and Glossop NHS Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The recent opening of the Community Diagnostic Centre marks a significant step forward in our joint efforts to bring down waiting lists and provide more diagnostic capacity to the population we serve.

“Getting people diagnosed and treated quicker is absolutely crucial to a patient’s long-term health outcomes, and this centre is pivotal in our quest to ensuring our patients live longer, happier and healthier lives.

“Health care is most effective when delivered in the heart of the community, and there is no better location than Crown Point.”