Help shape development of community diagnostic centres

Consultation on developing community diagnostic centres

NHS North East London (NEL) are seeking feedback from local people and stakeholders on their plans for new community diagnostic centres. They want to hear from as many people as possible by 13 September.

Health and care partners have been working together to develop the proposals that would increase diagnosis rates in north east London. The aim is to increase capacity where it is most needed for a range of key tests, to improve patient access, experience and health outcomes, while reducing health inequalities and increasing efficiency – for example reducing pressure on hospitals.

They are proposing to:

• expand the sites at Mile End Hospital and Barking Community Hospital.
• look at the costs, benefits and possibilities of developing other NHS sites in the next few years. They are looking in particular at King George Hospital in Redbridge and/or St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Havering.
• consider the development of smaller centres in shopping centres – for example Canary Wharf, Westfield Stratford and Liberty Romford that would focus on a smaller range of tests either as temporary centres to clear the backlog or longer term, perhaps instead of some of the NHS sites detailed above
• change the patient pathway to access tests, enabling GPs greater ability to book patients directly into clinics at times to suit their conditions and lifestyle. This will put patients in more control of their care.

To find out more and share your views, read the proposals in detail, and attend online events visit www.eastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/communitydiagnosticcentres