The diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions is set to get quicker, thanks to a new centre in Chelmsley Wood.

NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust are opening a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Chelmsley Wood, in partnership with InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic solutions. The new centre will open to patients in Spring 2025.

With funding provided by NHS England, thousands of people will be able to visit it every year to get a wide range of diagnostic tests in one central place, away from a busy hospital site. The services will be for the use of the populations across North Solihull and the greater Birmingham area.

The large archetype North Solihull CDC will be the first of its kind in Birmingham to be located in a retail location, situated at the shopping centre in Chelmsley Wood. It will offer high tech scanning, including MRI, CT, Ultrasound and Xray, as well as Endoscopy other Health Screening services, helping to detect a range of conditions quicker, ensuring patients can then be treated faster. Patients will be able to access the services via a clinician referral.

InHealth, NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust are working with LCP Group, landlords for the building in which the CDC will be located.

Faith Button, Chief Delivery Officer from NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board, said: “It’s great to see building work starting on our new Community Diagnostic Centre which will ensure more checks, tests and scans are available sooner for people in North Solihull and the greater Birmingham area. This will be a fantastic new resource for local people, helping them to get the diagnosis and care they need as soon as possible.”  

Martin Richardson, Hospital Executive Director of Solihull Hospital (part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust) and Diagnostic and Cancer – Senior Responsible Officer (for the Integrated Care Board), said: “The new Community Diagnostic Centre will improve access to important scans and diagnostic tests for local patients in a purpose-built environment away from a main hospital setting. This will facilitate rapid GP direct access as well as providing non-urgent hospital diagnostics closer to communities. In addition, through offering a range of diagnostic tests and screenings, the facility will help to support early disease detection and prevention, ultimately improving future health outcomes for North Solihull and the greater Birmingham area.”

Geoff Searle, InHealth Chief Executive, said: “We’re incredibly pleased to be working in partnership with our NHS partners in the Midlands to create this new centre, which signifies another step forward in providing additional capacity, improving health outcomes and increasing the range, scale and accessibility of services for the local population of North Solihull.

“InHealth has been working in partnership with the NHS for more than 30 years, with more than 17 existing Community Diagnostic Centres in England, so we’re delighted to be expanding this model across the country”.

Rakesh Joshi, Director at LCP, part of M Core, managers of M Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre. said; “We are thrilled to welcome the new CDC to M Chelmsley Wood. This has been a significant and longstanding collaboration with InHealth, and we are excited to see it come to fruition. The CDC will offer substantial benefits to the local community by reducing pressures on large hospitals and providing essential diagnostic services closer to home. Furthermore, the presence of the CDC is expected to increase both dwell time and footfall at the shopping centre, enhancing the overall experience for our visitors. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this development will bring to Chelmsley Wood and its residents.”

The new centre is also part of a national programme to help continue the recovery of services left overwhelmed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has committed a £2.3billion national investment to open up to 160 CDCs by 2025 providing approximately 9 million additional tests a year for people nationwide.

Notes to Editors 

About NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board

NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) has oversight of the local health system, co-ordinating and planning in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities. The ICB is responsible for delivery against all health elements of the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS).

About University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

UHB runs Heartlands, Good Hope, Solihull and the Queen Elizabeth hospitals; UHB also hosts the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM).

The Trust has approximately 2,700 beds, over 80 theatres and a 100-bedded critical care unit – the largest in Europe, and cares for over 2.2 million patients each year, employing over 24,000 staff.

About InHealth

InHealth is the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic solutions. Our mission is to make healthcare better and we do this by working with hospitals and commissioners across the NHS and independent sector.

InHealth provide tests, scans and examinations for more than 4 million patients a year.

About LCP

LCP is a national commercial property and investment company, headquartered in the West Midlands and is one of the UK’s largest private owners and managers of retail, leisure, industrial, office and residential property.