£18m NHS facility proposed for Hull city centre amidst ‘significant development’

NHS patients could soon be able to access a wide range of healthcare in the city centre if a proposed £18m Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), earmarked for Albion Square, is approved by Cabinet on Monday 18 December.

The NHS has secured £16m in funding from the Department of Health and Social Care to develop a CDC in Hull, £12m of which will go towards construction of the facility, with the remaining amount allocated for clinical equipment such as MRI scanners and x-ray machines.

If proposals are approved by Cabinet, the council will contribute £2m of funding from the existing Albion Square capital budget to support construction costs.

A planning application will be submitted in support of the plans, with Hull City Council and the NHS currently collaborating and progressing designs. Should Cabinet approval be given, it is hoped that construction will begin on site in 2024, with the facility to open in 2025.

The CDC would be accessible for patients, with bus services directly serving the location and the Paragon Interchange just a short walk away, meaning the CDC could accommodate patients from outside of Hull and the East Riding.

Being in a central location, the facility would provide both practical and economic benefits, encouraging additional footfall in the city centre and supporting local businesses and the wider economy.

Cllr Linda Chambers, the council’s portfolio holder for public health, commented: “This is an exciting project and one that would bring health, economy and practical benefits. Residents often tell us that they want to see a health service that is easily accessible to them.

“Albion Square is a significant development in the city centre and it’s pleasing to know that such plans are being put in place to accommodate this.”

The design and construction of the CDC would be undertaken by VINCI Building, the council’s development partner for Albion Square, whilst architects for the project would be FaulknerBrowns Architects.

The CDC would complement the primary objective of the Albion Square redevelopment to create a high-quality mixed-use site and is also key to local NHS ambitions to boost diagnostic capacity in the area.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily