Over 50,000 more diagnostic scans and tests for local residents thanks to opening of Barking Community Diagnostic Centre

A fantastic new centre has opened which will help provide more tests more quickly for people living in north east London. The brand-new Barking Community Diagnostic Centre, based at Barking Community Hospital, will see diagnostic teams carry out 50,000 additional scans and tests every year.

Traditional diagnostic scans such as MRI, CT Scans and Ultrasound are provided here, alongside revolutionary new diagnostic tools that are set to improve the patient experience even further.

Examples of innovation, which mean less invasive and less time-consuming procedures for patients, include:

• Cytosponge, which detects cancer or pre-cancerous conditions of the stomach and gullet through a simple pill-on-a-string.
• Colon capsule, which is a capsule (pictured below) containing a small disposable camera which, once swallowed, takes thousands of pictures as it travels along the gut to help identify the cause of symptoms.
• Transnasal Endoscopy, where a thin flexible tube called an endoscope is passed through your nose and down the back of your throat to look directly at the oesophagus.

The aim is to provide a one-stop shop approach at the centre, so that a patient will be able to have multiple tests on the same day and get their results more quickly.

The centre, managed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals (BHRUT), is one of three in north east London. The other two sites are at St George’s Hospital (BHRUT) and Mile End Hospital (Barts Health).

Femi Odewale, Managing Director for North East London Cancer Alliance said “Barking Community Diagnostic Centre is a wonderful facility and huge praise goes to all those involved in the project. As a cancer alliance, we are happy to have supported the development of the centre, which will go a long way towards achieving our aim of improving local cancer services.

“In particular I would like to thank Sas Banerjee, Cancer Clinical Lead at BHRUT and Christiane Zelenyanszki, Programme and Service Development Lead for the centre, for making sure that the centre has patients at its very heart and delivers the very best in patient care.”

Launch of the Barking Community Diagnostic Centre

A formal opening took place on Thursday 25 July, and was attended by regional and national healthcare leaders, including Professor Sir Mike Richards, the mastermind behind the introduction Community Diagnostic Centres, local councillors, and the new MP for Barking, Nesil Caliskan.

Sir Mike cut the ribbon alongside a member of the receptionist team for BHRUT, Lisa Bacon. Sir Mike said: “The idea of Community Diagnostic Centres started about four years ago and it’s a pleasure to be here for the opening. It is a fantastic centre, it feels spacious and it’s really going to help us get the time to diagnosis reduced, back to where it should be.”

“We know that the patient experience is fantastic, and it is really going to help us reduce time for diagnosis. With the introduction of facilities like this, we are really able to see huge benefits for patients and it will make our lives better. Well done to everybody who has been involved."

Guests were shown around the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), where scans such as MRI, CT, ultrasound, and respiratory tests are carried out.

Chief Executive for BHRUT, Matthew Trainer, said: “The centre will have a huge impact on residents across north east London in the heart of Barking.

“For those worrying they might have cancer, it means we can give them the news they need, quicker, either the all clear so they can get on with their lives, or, if they are diagnosed, we can give them the treatment they need.

“We’ve got colleagues here form the North East London ICB and Cancer Alliance, who have really supported us to get this over the line.”

Councillor Maureen Worby, who has been a big supporter of the CDC in Barking from the outset, described it as a ‘dream come true’: “I can’t explain how much of a difference this is going to make for our local residents.

“The commitment from the very beginning to have patients involved in the design is wonderful. It means patients feel relaxed, comfortable and that they are going to be put first.”

The modern and relaxing feel of the centre, with its floor to ceiling windows, impressed attendees including Nesil Caliskan MP who said: “I’m really delighted to be here and to see the centre which has already benefited thousands of patients in our local community.

“It’s important for residents to have access to this brilliant facility, on their doorstep.”