We’re delighted that NHS Providers have published a case study on the work we’ve been doing around our Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital (BCH).

Barking and Dagenham is one of the most diverse, and deprived, London boroughs and BCH was chosen to host a CDC following national recommendations to establish CDCs to make sure residents have quick access to checks, scans and tests.

In the case study, Ann Hepworth, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, and Joe Huang, consultant in cancer and Associate Medical Director for Reducing Unwarranted Clinical Variation, talked about the additional diagnostics capacity we’ve provided at the site, boosted by more mobile CT and MRI scanners, ultrasound facilities and X-ray machines. This has proven invaluable in helping addressing our waiting list backlog and reducing major drivers of health inequalities such as cancer and heart disease, which, the later they’re diagnosed, the worse the outcomes for patients.

Ann reflected on the importance of partnership work and the move towards more localised decision-making: “As we began to work as a system, support and oversight from the regional body, NHS London, was key to facilitating population health focus and helping to ensure that resources were allocated equitably. As the system matured and became a statutory ICB, this paved the way for more local autonomy and decision making at system level.”

And the positive impact working in the CDC has had on staff morale and job satisfaction was also highlighted.

The next phase of work will see us start work to provide a new, self-contained modular building on the site, using what’s known as the Modern Method of Construction to minimise disruption and increase the speed of the build. The CDC will have suitable waiting, changing and other public facilities, such as hearing induction loops, and landscaped outside space. It will house scanning equipment such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound alongside consultation rooms for a range of other tests.