NHS approves plans to invest in Barking Community Hospital

A computer generated image of how the new centre at Barking Community Hospital would look (Credit: NHS North East London.)

The NHS has approved plans to invest £30 million in developing Mile End Hospital and Barking Community Hospital into full community diagnostic centres.

They will act as a one-stop-shop for checks, scans and tests for a range of conditions, meaning patients won’t have to travel all the way to the hospital.

It is thought making tests easier and faster to access will also help patients get quicker treatment for a variety of conditions.

Almost 400 people responded to a consultation on the plans between July and September, with two out of three supporting them.

“This is great news for residents in north east London,” said Dr Paul Gilluley. “The faster we can find out the causes of sickness, the faster we can treat people – reducing long term sickness and saving lives.

“Mile End Hospital and Barking Community Hospitals are well developed centres, but this extra investment will really help the NHS speed up processes and make them simpler for patients – for example reducing the number of visits people have to make to diagnostic centres.”

NHS England will pay for the building costs and running costs for the first few years.

For more on this story, and the latest on our other local and national news, listen to Time 107.5FM