Faster diagnosis for communities in south Warwickshire

Thanks to £6m national funding and a £1m Community Infrastructure Levy grant from Stratford District Council, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been able to progress plans to create a dedicated diagnostic facility at Stratford Hospital.

There has always been a long term plan for continued development of Stratford Hospital. This extension is the next phase to expand and modernise the site, following the new building opening in 2017.

This development will help to increase access to diagnostic services, supporting patients to get conditions diagnosed sooner and improve their treatment outcomes.

The new unit will be a single-storey extension of the existing hospital building, which will house two MRI scanners and a CT scanner. Thanks to support from Stratford District Council and their Community Infrastructure Levy grant, the Trust have been able to increase the footprint of the extension, which will allow the Trust to build on top of it in the future.

Sophie Gilkes, Chief Strategy Officer: said "Co-locating our diagnostic services, will make it more convenient for patients to access vital tests and supports our commitment to reducing waiting times. Stratford Hospital has evolved drastically over the last ten years and this next phase of development will bring even more services closer to communities across south Warwickshire. We are extremely grateful to the grant awarded by Stratford District Council, which is going to make this extension fit for the future."

Cllr Susan Juned, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: "This significant funding for Stratford Hospital will play a key role in enabling the Trust to build a dedicated facility, which will support them to improve access to vital diagnostics for the District.

"One of our main priorities in our new Council Plan is to make sure Health and Wellbeing is at the heart of the decisions we make, and I am delighted the Council is able to play a central role in supporting this facility and the health and wellbeing of our District residents, creating a lasting legacy that will save lives."

Councillor Liz Coles, Housing and Customer Services Portfolio at Stratford District Council said: "This will be a wonderful facility for the community and will save them from having to travel to other places to receive vital medical care."

The building work is expected to be complete by spring 2025. During the construction, the hospital buildings, including the café will remain open. Some of the meeting facilities will be re-provided elsewhere on site and the Trust are also exploring options to create additional green spaces elsewhere on the site.

The Trust will be working closely with the contractors throughout the development to minimise disruption to visitors and staff.