At a Glance
- New Community Diagnostics Centre opening early next year in Victoria Shopping Centre
- Will deliver quicker diagnoses, shorter waiting times, and ease pressure on Southend Hospital
- Offers X-rays, ultrasounds, heart and lung tests, seven days a week
- Longer opening hours will boost capacity and improve access
- Supported by Labour government funding
It was such a huge pleasure to visit the new Community Diagnostics Centre in Southend that will be transformational in delivering health services in the future.
The long-awaited new community health centre in the Victoria Shopping Centre is based in the former Argos unit. Its doors will open to the public early next year and the delivery of its new services can’t come quickly enough. It’s fantastic news to a bring state-of-the-art diagnostic service to patients in our city and expand the hours to make it more accessible to patients.
Benefits to patients
This new initiative will bring care back into the community, thanks to money from this Labour government. The new diagnostic centre will cut waiting times and ease the strain on Southend Hospital. It will really help drive down the wait for diagnoses, which will also help with earlier treatment. The centre will have longer opening hours to boost capacity, so people can access the care they need, when they need it.
Improvements for Patients
In future patients will be able to access :
• X-rays
• Ultrasounds
• Heart and lung tests
• Open seven days a week, up to 12 hours a day
According to the Mid and South Essex Health Trust, the Southend Community Diagnostic Centre will expand diagnostic capacity and bring services closer to home. For too long patients have been kept waiting for results of tests or unable to access appointments quickly and easily. Now, with this excellent new community health centre they can get diagnostic appointments when they want.
“Quicker diagnoses mean quicker treatment and that is key for health outcomes for the people of Southend. Longer opening hours mean more treatments, tests and scans for patients – with over two million more NHS appointments delivered since July helping to bring down waiting lists.”
I am delighted that we have been able to deliver this breakthrough and with the second LINAC radiotherapy machine coming to the hospital in 2026, there is plenty to look forward to in the New Year, so have a happy one!
by David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West & Leigh
david.burtonsampson.mp@parliament.uk