Modern methods of construction specialist MTX has secured the dual contract to build Community Diagnostic Centres in Lincoln and Skegness, giving patients in Lincolnshire improved access to NHS diagnostic procedures including CT, X-ray and ultrasound.
The new CDCs will be delivered concurrently by MTX using precisely engineered structural steel modules, factory-manufactured offsite while groundworks take place onsite to create the foundations for the new buildings. Mechanical and electrical services will also be manufactured as modules where appropriate to speed up the construction process and reduce costs. Once they are installed onsite, the structural steel units will be fitted out by MTX to fulfil their specialised roles.
The contract for Lincoln and Skegness is one of several won by MTX to build CDCs across the UK. CDCs launched nationally in July 2021 to provide a range of patient diagnostic services, and are designed to be ‘one-stop shops’ that can check, test and scan patients for a range of conditions, from cancer to heart or lung disease.
Employing modern methods of construction (MMC) means MTX can deliver the new centres faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively for NHS Trusts.
NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust successfully opened Lincolnshire’s first CDC in Grantham in April 2022 and has recently had a £5m expansion to open CT and MRI facilities. To date, Lincolnshire’s CDC programme has supported the delivery of more than 80,000 diagnostic tests
Lincolnshire’s CDCs have been designed by a team with representatives from all stakeholder groups, including clinicians, patient groups and specialist providers, focusing on providing the best patient experience.
The dual project to create CDCs at Lincoln and Skegness has benefited from £38 million of additional funds allocated by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Claire Lloyd, Lincolnshire’s CDC Programme Lead, said: “Diagnostics are recognised as a key priority in the NHS Long-Term Plan and CDCs play a key role in supporting reductions in waiting times, improving access and delivering care closer to home.
“For Lincolnshire, and particularly for Skegness and Lincoln, the investment in these two new CDCs is at a level that will make an enormous difference to our diagnostic testing capabilities and capacity in the county for years to come, and we are immensely proud of that.”
MTX Managing Director David Hartley said: “The creation of a network of CDCs is a key element in improving access to care and patient experience, and we are delighted that NHS Trusts are choosing to partner with MTX for delivery of these new resources based on our proven track record of rapid and cost effective delivery.”
