It's time to get a first look at the new £10 million Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), at the Isle of Wight's St Mary's Hospital. 

Health bosses hope the new CDC will provide better access to tests and treatments for Islanders and reduce visits to the hospital site.

The new centre is expected to open in Newport by mid-2024.

Announced in October 2022, it will expand diagnostic capacity at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.

Isle of Wight County Press: An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport.An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport. (Image: Isle of Wight NHS Trust)

Isle of Wight County Press: An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport.An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport. (Image: Isle of Wight NHS Trust)

The new centre will host facilities aimed at spotting early warning signs for illnesses such as asthma, lung cancer, hypertension, strokes and heart attacks.

What other services will be at the new Isle of Wight community diagnostic centre?

  • Cardiac and respiratory physiology measurements
  • Bone densitometry
  • CT, ultrasound and general imaging scans
  • Same day biopsies and cystoscopies
  • Sleep studies
  • Spirometry
  • Lung function texting
  • Echo cardiographs
  • Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence endoscopy scopes have already been purchased - helping detect polyps and cancer.

Joe Smyth, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust's chief operating officer called it fantastic news for the Island's community.

The trust's associate director of transformation, Amanda Shaw, said the aim is to be proactive with early disease detection, reducing the number of patients who may go on to need acute care later in life.

She said: "The ambition is that Islanders can have a diagnostic procedure, their results and if needed, a treatment plan provided to them, all on the same day.”

Isle of Wight County Press: An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport.An artist's impression of the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Mary's Hospital in Newport. (Image: Isle of Wight NHS Trust)

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Dr Michelle Legg, said: "This is part of a wide range of measures we’re putting in place to help ease pressure on our hospital, whilst also offering important training and development opportunities for our staff.”

A business case has been approved by NHS England and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board so the CDC can go ahead. 

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said he was delighted the government had committed money to the Island, saying the centre will help save more lives.

Cash for the centre is in addition to £48 million for other improvements here, he said.