NEARLY £5million of government funding has been given to build a new community diagnostic centre (CDC) in Andover.

Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (HHFT) has received funding for the new CDC in Andover, which Andover MP Kit Malthouse said will help thousands of local people access earlier diagnostic tests.

Plans for the centre, which will run seven days a week from Andover War Memorial Hospital, have been approved by the government. 

Mr Malthouse said: “I’m really pleased that Andover is getting a one-stop shop for checks, scans and tests. It means GPs will now be able to refer patients to the new centre in the heart of our community, where they can have potentially lifesaving checks and earlier diagnosis by nurses and radiographers for a range of conditions without needing to have to travel further afield to Basingstoke or Winchester.”

As part of the plans, the Andover Maternity Centre will move to a Maternity Hub creating a modernised setting for maternity teams to work in an improved birthing environment for families.

The new-look service will include developing an ultrasound hub for obstetric and non-obstetric ultrasound.

The Department for Health and Social Care announced at the beginning of September plans to roll out 160 CDCs by 2025 to provide quicker diagnosis to patients as part of a £2.3 billion package of investment.

More than 1.7 million tests, checks and scans have already been delivered by the 92 existing centres, which speed up diagnosis times by offering tests closer to home, eliminating unnecessary hospital trips.

The government said the centres will help “bust the Covid backlogs” and relieve pressure on NHS staff.

Patients are referred to a CDC by a GP and can be tested for a range of conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been contacted for a comment.