New plans for £25 million NHS diagnostic centre in Slough

Proposals for a £25 million ‘state-of-the-art’ diagnostic centre in Slough have been announced by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.  

The new ‘stand alone’ centre, set to open in 2025, is planned for an unused area of the Upton Hospital site and will service residents of Slough, Windsor, and the wider East Berkshire community.

It is expected to double the current MRI and CT-scan capacity in the Slough area as well as providing additional ultrasounds, testing for lung and heart conditions, and blood tests and x-rays.

The Trust hopes this extra capacity will reduce waiting lists by enabling more people to access tests quicker, leading to earlier diagnosis of symptoms and more timely treatment.

Nigel Foster, who is leading the programme on behalf of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“The centre is fantastic news for our local communities and will mean that people who need more than one diagnostic procedure may have them on the same day.

“This will help to diagnose conditions and illnesses, including cancer, more quickly.

“Not only will the increased testing help to improve the health of the local population and meet the growing demand for diagnostic services, it will also help free up capacity at Wexham Park Hospital.”

The new community diagnostic centre will be open seven days a week, for 12 hours each day and be easily accessible by public transport.

Designs of the new facility are due to take place in autumn 2023, with construction (subject to planning approval) beginning in 2024 and planned opening for a date in spring 2025.

Sangeeta Saran, Director of Operations for Slough NHS Frimley, said:

“The new centre will play a vital role in enabling us to meet local people’s needs in the future and, crucially, mean they spend as little time as possible waiting for the diagnoses they need.”

Members of the public have been invited to give their opinions on the new development at two drop-in events at Upton Hospital on Albert Street, which will inform the Trust’s planning application.

The first will be held on 27 September between 4 and 7pm in the Garden Clinic Meeting Room and the second on 28 September, between 10:30am and 1:30pm in the Boardroom.

Alternatively, more information can be found online between 28 September and 8 October at  https://frimley.ntropydata.co.uk/sloughcdc and members of the public can email their thoughts on the new development to fhft.sloughcdc@nhs.net.