A former Sainsbury’s supermarket in Hanley has begun welcoming patients after being converted into a new NHS community diagnostics centre.
The £43m facility on Etruria Road is expected to offer around 180,000 appointments a year for tests and scans, including X-rays, ultrasound, MRI and CT scans.
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has developed the centre to improve access to diagnostics and help reduce waiting times for patients across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
The first patients were welcomed through the doors last month, with further services due to be added in the coming weeks and months, including blood tests and endoscopy.
The centre was officially opened on Monday 11 May by Professor Sir Mike Richards, chair of the UK National Screening Committee and former National Cancer Director in the Government’s Department of Health.
Professor Sir Mike Richards said
“This is the most amazing facility, offering all the different diagnostic tests patients are likely to need.
“It’s got good access, good parking and I think it will make a huge difference to patients’ lives. It will take some pressure off the main acute hospital which is also very good.
“Talking to the staff, they’re very glad to be here. It is a big investment and it will make a big difference.”
Dr Simon Constable, chief executive of UHNM, said the project had been in development since 2022, with funding from NHS England.
Dr Constable said
“This has been in the pipeline since 2022 and funding has come from NHS England. This has been a massive project for us as an organisation and it will provide greater flexibility for patients and their families.
“Diagnosis is everything in healthcare, the sooner you get a diagnosis, the sooner you get the right treatment. This is accessible and it’s right where patients are, what better way to demystify healthcare and reduce anxiety than by having this in a former supermarket site?
“We’re trying to do more of a one stop shop where people can come and have all their tests in one place. Feedback has been really good so far from both patients and staff.”
Guests at the opening ceremony, including councillors and MPs, were given a tour of the facilities by Deonne Lee, Senior Programme Manager for Strategy and Transformation at UHNM.
Features designed to make the centre more accessible include colour coding to help patients find their way around and clocks to help patients with dementia keep track of the time and day while waiting for appointments.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the authority had worked with UHNM to identify a suitable site for the new centre.
Councillor Gordon-McCusker said
“This is something that is going to make such a difference to the community, opening seven days a week, with 180,000 additional appointments a year. You can see how it has been designed around patients, everything they need is on the ground floor, so there is no traipsing up and down stairs or waiting for lifts.
“You can also see how the NHS has worked with the voluntary sector and the Alzheimer’s Society. And they have kept space flexible for when you have a team that might only need a space for one or two days a week, so you are not going to see a lot of wasted capacity which is really important.
“So many people have said ‘I remember coming here to shop at Sainsbury’s’. It’s brilliant to see a disused building get a new lease of life.”
Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams said
“This is an incredible community facility and it takes people away from the key hospital site. It has a warm, welcoming feel with a team of specialists.
“It is wonderful to see the official opening. It has brought greater focus on moving away from reactive care to more proactive care.
“This is going to be completely transformational to the lives of local people and it’s great news for the community.”
