New suite to be built at Doncaster hospital following £9 million cash boost

The Community Diagnostic Centre will be housed in the hospital's rotunda building.

Funding for the project has been approved by the National CDC Programme, with support from the South Yorkshire integrated Care Board (ICB).

It is the second phase of a two-stage project.

Phase one began in January 2022 when a mobile MRI unit was placed at Montagu Hospital followed by a CT scanner.

Between January and the end of March, around 2,600 patients were seen to reduce the backlog which had accumulated as a result of COVID-19.

Dr Tim Noble, Executive Medical Director at DBTH, said: “As a trust we are delighted to receive this funding, which will do so much good for local people. By investing and further developing the Community Diagnostic Centre in Mexborough, we will be able to increase our overall diagnostic capacity, improving patient experience by providing faster diagnosis and treatment, implementing future pathways of care, as well as training staff to deliver these services in the future.

He added: “Colleagues worked extremely hard to complete the first phase of this project, and our teams have gone above and beyond to secure further funding to ensure that we are on track to deliver the ambitions we laid out when we began this journey – a huge ‘thank you’ to all those involved."

As well as a new endoscopy suite, ultrasound facilities and rooms will be created, along with multifunctional clinical rooms which will be used for screening and mobile services. Money will also be spent on staff development and training.

Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive of NHS South Yorkshire, said: “We’re delighted that the funding for the expansion of the Community Diagnostic Centre at Montagu Hospital in Mexborough has been secured. It is a great example of how working collaboratively across South Yorkshire we can deliver improvements for our patients. Montagu Hospital is ideally located to support people living in Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham to access diagnostic services. The range of tests that will be available at Montagu will enable earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for patients, helping to reduce health inequalities in South Yorkshire.”