A community diagnostic centre has opened at Ripon Community Hospital.
The £1 million centre aims to provide Ripon residents with faster access to checks, scans and tests for a wide range of health conditions.
It has the capacity to deliver more than 27,000 checks a year and will enable Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to offer more appointments for tests, reduce waiting times and make it easier for the local community to access diagnostic services closer to home.
The centre offers services to people who have been referred by their GP for conditions including musculoskeletal problems, lung conditions, cardiovascular conditions and hearing issues.
A number of services have not been available at Ripon Community Hospital before, including ultrasound, echocardiography, audiology, blood tests, ambulatory blood pressure monitor fitting, electrocardiogram (ECG), spirometry (breathing and lung function tests) and tests for asthma.
Later this month, a new x-ray room will be opened in the centre using the latest diagnostic imaging technology that can capture and processes images faster than current equipment, which will reduce waiting times.
Located on the ground floor of the hospital, the centre will initially be open five days a week from 8am to 6pm, with plans to expand to seven days a week by the end of 2024. The x-ray service once opened will be available seven days a week.
Matt Graham, director of strategy at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the centre would provide “a huge benefit for the people of Ripon and the surrounding area”.
He added:
“It is a significant step forward in improving the range of diagnostic tests available in Ripon and it is helping us improve access to healthcare for our rural population. People now have the opportunity to have tests completed on their doorstep rather than having to travel further afield.
“We have been working closely with GPs in Ripon since the start of the project so that we can streamline access to our community diagnostic centre for those people who need it.”
Wendy Balmain, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board director for North Yorkshire, said:
“This is fantastic news for people living in Ripon and surrounding area and will mean they will have convenient access to a wide range of diagnostic tests.
“It’s a revolution in the way patients access diagnostic services and will speed up the detection of many serious illnesses, meaning patients can start their treatment and recovery much sooner.”
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Ripon hospital to provide more health checks after £1m award
Ripon Community Hospital has been awarded £1 million to expand the number of health checks and scans.
It means GPs will be able to refer more patients to the hospital for life-saving checks closer to home and be diagnosed for a range of conditions.
The NHS England funding is part of an expansion of community diagnostic services announced by the government.
Ripon Community Hospital will refurbish its X-Ray room and equipment and expand the service to six days a week.
The ultrasound room will be extended and its services expanded to six days a week and a second audiology room will be created, with additional staff, to provide more hearing tests in Ripon.
The funding will also help to create two clinic rooms to offer more frequent blood samples and local access to tests such as spirometry, ambulatory ECG and ambulatory blood pressure.
The hospital on Firby Lane, which is part of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, will have capacity for 27,000 checks a year once services are expanded.
A report by Professor Sir Mike Richards called for a significant increase in community diagnostic services outside of acute hospitals.
Building work will be carried out at the hospital before the extra services can start by the end of this year.
Sue Eddleston, a public governor representing Ripon and outlying villages on the Council of Governors for the Harrogate District Foundation Trust, said she “could not be more delighted” by the news, which she added would benefit Ripon residents.
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