Isle Of Wight Patients To Benefit From Faster Access To Diagnostic Tests And Scans

Patients on the Isle of Wight are set to benefit from quicker access to vital tests and scans closer to home, following new government funding to expand and upgrade the Island’s Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary’s Hospital.

As part of a £237 million national investment, the centre will be expanded to include a new breast screening diagnostic unit, along with upgraded facilities to relocate the CT scanner.

The improvements are expected to increase local capacity and reduce the need for patients to travel to the mainland for routine tests.

The Government says the wider programme will see 36 Community Diagnostic Centres across England expanded or created, forming part of a drive to deliver more care in local communities and ease pressure on hospitals.

On the Isle of Wight, the CDC at St Mary’s has already made a significant impact since opening, carrying out almost 55,000 appointments and tests in its first six months.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has also exceeded the national standard for the Cancer 28-Day Faster Diagnosis target, with performance above the England average.

Richard Quigley MP for Isle of Wight West welcomed the investment, saying it will help reduce the need for islanders to travel off-Island for routine care.

He said:

“Far too many islanders still have to travel off-Island for diagnostic tests that should be routine.

"While this investment won’t fix the challenges of our geographical inequality overnight, it is a meaningful step in the right direction.”

He added that the new breast screening unit would be particularly important in improving access for women on the Island and supporting earlier diagnosis.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the expansion of Community Diagnostic Centres is part of the biggest increase in NHS diagnostics in a generation, aimed at catching illness earlier and making healthcare more accessible.

He said the centres are designed to allow patients to have tests and scans closer to where they live, without needing to travel to hospital.

The Government says it has already delivered record numbers of diagnostic tests across England and that this latest investment will help continue that progress.