New £12.2m high-tech NHS centre set for Wakefield creating 50 new jobs

Wakefield Community Diagnostic Centre, based at Westgate Retail Park, will be a convenient way for patients to get the healthcare tests they need from Spring 2024.

One of 40 new diagnostic centres across the country, the facility will provide planned outpatient tests including x-rays, ultrasounds, CT, MRI and bone-density scans, as well as bloods, cardio-respiratory tests and some ophthalmology (eye) tests.

Besides its contribution to the health of our communities, the centre will create up to 50 new jobs in Wakefield, and support training into qualified, professional roles.

Access to outpatient diagnostic tests will also remain available in existing hospital sites at Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury, alongside tests and scans performed for inpatients and in emergency situations.

Westgate Retail Park was chosen as a central location, just five-minutes’ walk from the city centre, easily accessible by public transport and with free car parking, to make journeys easy for the people who will use it.

Richard Robinson, the Trust’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “Rather than travelling to hospital, patients will be able to undergo tests for a range of conditions in the heart of their local community.

"This will make services more accessible and convenient for patients and carers, giving a greater choice, whilst increasing the number of tests we can carry out.

"It is an exciting step forward in our work with GPs and other health and care partners to reduce the time it takes for patients to get a diagnosis and start receiving treatment.”