State-of-the-art Integrated Diagnostic Centre opens in Colchester

A new, purpose-built diagnostic imaging centre has opened at Colchester General Hospital. The Turner Diagnostic Centre, a 23,000 square foot building integrates key modalities, including MRI, PET-CT and nuclear medicine - bringing together clinical expertise, IT and diagnostic capacity under one roof. The innovative concept is designed to streamline care pathways, which will result in an improved patient experience, faster access to diagnostics and the ability to distribute results in a timely way.

The Turner Diagnostic Centre is the result of a partnership between Colchester Hospital University NHS Trust and Alliance Medical, a specialist diagnostic and molecular imaging services provider which has long standing clinical contracts with the Trust and NHS England to provide MRI and PET-CT services.

As demand for diagnostics has increased and the existing service outgrew itself, Alliance Medical undertook to design a purpose-built centre to deliver their contracted imaging services, working closely with the Trust to ensure that it could also meet their wider diagnostic needs and support initiatives to improve the patient experience. In this case, that meant incorporating the relocation of the nuclear medicine department to assist with the Trust’ strategic plans for the Essex County Hospital site.

The distinguishing feature of this new collaborative partnership is that there is no capital requirement or risk on the part of the Trust. Alliance Medical provides flexible access to capacity and also undertakes to ensure future equipment upgrades within the obligations of its existing clinical services contracts.

Importantly, the Trust maintains control over the clinical service under a joint governance structure.

Hospital Trust Chairman David White said “Modern Diagnostic imaging services are critical for the delivery of timely, high quality care to our patients. This development significantly improves facilities in Colchester for the three key services”

Russell Trenter, Group Commercial Director of Alliance Medical said “ The Turner Diagnostic Centre is the first fully integrated centre of this size in the UK and is the realisation of a shared vision in collaboration with the Trust. This exciting development incorporates a fully integrated leading edge diagnostic solution in a cost effective way for the benefit of local patients, staff and the NHS”

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