The final phase of the West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Hermitage Court close to Maidstone Hospital, opened its doors to patients this morning.
The Hounsfield Unit houses CT, MRI and phlebotomy services and has been named after Godfrey Hounsfield, a British electrical engineer who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his part in developing the CT scan.
Th
e new unit’s first patient, Susan (pictured right) was welcomed for a CT scan on the brand-new scanner.
Work on the CDC started with the arrival of mobile scanners in 2021, followed by the opening of the first building, Unit A, in 2023.
The unit, which offers ultrasound, X-ray, respiratory and cardiology tests, was officially opened by then-Secretary of State, Victoria Atkins MP.
Unit A has delivered 80,000 diagnostic tests so far. The Hounsfield Unit will significantly increase these numbers, with a further 78,000 tests forecast to take place there each year.
Jelena Pochin, Divisional Director of Operations for Core Clinical Services and General Manager for Radiology said: “The West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre has been years in the making, and to see the project complete – and to such a high standard – is wonderful.
“The majority of patients we see at MTW require at least one diagnostic test, and the CDC provides extra capacity to ensure patients receive these tests as quickly as possible.
“I’d like to say thank you to all of the teams and colleagues involved, and give special thanks to Steve Hockney who has overseen the CDC project right from the start, and whose commitment and perseverance have been crucial to its success.
“We look forward to welcoming even more patients to the Hounsfield Unit and continuing to deliver outstanding care.”
Photo: representatives from the Trust’s Core Clinical Services and Radiology teams met with project partners Canon Medical Systems Ltd, Western Building Systems, Gardiner & Theobald and Gallagher Property at the new building on the day it opened to patients.