£15m Skegness diagnostic centre proposals win town council support

Plans for the CDS that will build on the services offered by Skegness Hospital are are aimed to cut waiting lists were announced in the summer last year.

Teen Spirit Ltd, who own a number of leisure attractions in Skegness and the surrounding areas including the Skegness Aquarium and Tower Cinema, will accommodate the CDC at a site they own in Old Wainfleet Road, formerly Kwik Save.

The plan is part of a total £38m investment for Lincolnshire announced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that will also see a CDC in Lincoln.

Patients will benefit from greatly improved access to NHS diagnostic tests, such as X-ray and ultrasound.

Bramhall Town Planning is seeking full planning permission for the proposed construction of the CDC, including access, car

parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure.

In a statement to Skegness Town Council, which was put before councillors at last night’s (Wednesday) meeting, Bramhall said: “It is proposed on previously developed and long-term vacant land.

“There is an urgent need for the delivery of the new facility, critical to aid and support the early diagnostics of health conditions, earlier, faster and more accurately.

"It will allow patients to access diagnostics care nearer to home without the need to attend acute hospital sites.

"The services offered are in essence separate to urgent diagnostic scan facilities, which means shorter waiting times and a reduced risk of cancellation which can happen when more urgent cases take priority.

"Therefore, the aim is this facility will assist with diagnosing health conditions earlier, it will increase capacity in the diagnostic serve by investing in new facilities, equipment and training new staff. In addition, reducing pressure on acute hospital sites.

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“As can be seen form the submitted plans the design will assist in, improvements to productivity by streamlining acute and elective diagnostic services, redesigning clinical pathways to reduce unnecessary tests or duplication.

"It will contribute to reducing health inequalities in the area by ensuring everyone has the same personalised experience by providing a single point of access to a range of services in the community in turn providing a a more co-ordinated primary, community and secondary care for residents.”

Two councillors in particular were in favour of the proposals – Mark Anderson and Mark Dannatt – having both recently having to travel to Grantham for scans.

Coun Anderson said: “Having just had to travel to Grantham Hospital for a scan I am completely in favour of the proposals – it was a 110-mile round trip and having something in Skegness will help so many patients in the community.”

The NHS in Lincolnshire was also praised for choosing Skegness for the development. In addition to a new development in Lincoln, the NHS successfully opened its first CDC in Grantham in April 2022, which since then has undertaken over 59,000 diagnostic tests.

Coun Steve Kirk said: “We are always complaining that Skegness misses out in plans for Lincolnshire and so we should say well done to Lincolnshire NHS for bringing this much-needed facility to the resort.”

The proposals will be decided by East Lindsey District Council in due course.