Construction is well underway on Plymouth’s new £25m health centre. Foundations have now been dug at Colin Campbell Court to create a three-storey Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) facing onto Western Approach.
Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Sutton and Devonport, has visited the site and said he is delighted to see work progressing and, as a cancer survivor, he is aware of the importance of early diagnosis. He said the centre is also the first step in what he hopes will become a “health village” for Plymouth.
The CDC is expected to be open by the end of 2025 and is anticipated it will create a “catalyst” for redevelopment of the West End. It is also expected it will relieve pressure on overstretched facilities at Derriford Hospital.
Mr Pollard said: “In a positive start to the New Year, Plymouth will soon have a city centre NHS Community Diagnostic facility – offering medical tests, scans and diagnostics – to catch illness early and take the pressure off Derriford. Construction is now underway to lay the foundations for the Community Diagnostic Centre in Colin Campbell Court car park. I paid a visit today to see.”
Mr Pollard, who underwent treatment for skin cancer in 2023, said: “As a cancer survivor myself, I know how important early diagnosis is. For years I’ve been campaigning for a new ‘health village’ of NHS facilities in Plymouth City Centre, and the construction of this diagnostics centre is an important step forward in this campaign.
“This is a Labour council and a Labour government working together to get our NHS back on track – and patients seen on time again.”
Foundations are being dug for the Community Diagnostic Centre, Colin Campbell Court
(Image: William Telford)
BAM Construction has been appointed to build the new CDC and completed extensive groundwork preparation last year. The fully-constructed centre will provide more than 91,000 high-quality diagnostic tests per year and will include CT, MRI, X-Ray, ECHO, ECG, EEG, ultrasound, blood pressure monitoring, lung function tests, audiology and sleep investigations. More services could be added to this.
Hoardings around the construction site display images of what the finished building will look like. Each floor will offer specific tests and will have a reception and waiting area.
How the planned Community Diagnostic Centre would look when built fronting onto Western Approach
(Image: KTA)
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) said the city centre location is key as it means high-quality diagnostics tests can be offered to people close to where they live, making it easier for them to attend appointments. Patients may also be able to have more than one test per appointment if required.
For those coming from further away, the location has good transport links, a drop-off point, Plymouth City Council parking and five accessible parking bays. Whilst building works take place UHP will continue to offer a mobile scanning unit on the Colin Campbell site to give people access to tests.
In 2023, NHS England awarded £24.788m of capital funding for the project. The CDC is not the £40m health hub that was expected to go on Colin Campbell Court before NHS Devon said it couldn’t afford to pay for it – the funding comes from a different source and the diagnostic centre will have a different purpose.
Click here to join PlymouthLive on WhatsApp and we’ll send breaking news and top stories directly to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice