New Havant NHS Diagnostic Service launched

The new facility will be based within the existing Havant Health Centre. Care UK also operates healthcare services at the St. Mary’s NHS Treatment Centre in Portsmouth. The service is contracted to carry out over 11,000 X-ray, 4,600 ultrasound, 1,200 echocardiograms and 600 MRI scans a year, together with 180 orthopaedic surgical procedures to be carried out at the St Mary’s NHS Treatment Centre. Waiting times for diagnostic examinations will be reduced dramatically (e.g. just three to four weeks for ultrasound). Diagnostic reports will also be provided to referring clinicians within 48 hours.

The service is for NHS patients only and access to investigations are via GP direct access referral. The contract for provision of diagnostic services at the Havant NHS Diagnostic Centre is expected to run until 2010. Consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust can refer their patients for these services and MRI.