NHS in Coventry and Warwickshire set to receive £34m funding uplift

NHS services in Coventry and Warwickshire will receive increased funding amounting to £34m.

The funding will go towards three Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) – institutions that aim to increase access to elective diagnostic tests such as ultrasound scans and endoscopies. The funding boost is primarily aimed at lowering waiting times for these procedures.

Two of the three CDCs set to receive more funding are in Warwickshire and have already been built. North Warwickshire CDC in Nuneaton will use the funds to procure new CT and MRI scanners alongside more cancer diagnostic tests. Moreover, a new building will be established at South Warwickshire CDC in Stratford-upon-Avon to house CT and MRI scanners.

“The two developments in the heart of Coventry and in Rugby will mean that patients will have improved access to planned diagnostic tests closer to home and they will receive care quicker improving their experiences and outcomes.

– Professor Andy Hardy – CEO University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Funding will also go towards a newly established Coventry CDC, set to open its doors in 2024, which will be split into two parts – one being in Coventry and the other in Rugby. The latter will also see the development of a new Endoscopy Unit which will be opened in the summer of this year.

“The new investment will mean more timely and convenient access to vital and potentially lifesaving diagnostic procedures, which is crucial in ensuring that we are able to find and treat illnesses such as cancer quickly,” said Phil Johns: Chief Executive Officer of Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

“I’m confident that these CDCs will play an important role in improving the health and wellbeing of our local population and I look forward to seeing the positive impact they have in enhancing the quality of healthcare across communities in Coventry and Warwickshire.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, who noted that: “We are committed to ensuring patients have more convenient access to vital diagnostic procedures with shorter waiting times and this new funding will help to deliver on this key objective.

“The two developments in the heart of Coventry and in Rugby will mean that patients will have improved access to planned diagnostic tests closer to home and they will receive care quicker improving their experiences and outcomes.

“This early diagnosis is crucial in giving patients the best possible chance of successful treatment and recovery, and I am looking forward to seeing the positive impact of these new CDCs.”