Across East Lancashire, Community Health Partnerships (CHP) has been driving diagnostic capability through the delivery of X-ray and ultrasound machines across Barbara Castle Way, Accrington Acorn Primary Health Care Centre and expanded services at St Peter’s Health Centre.
Through targeted investment across the NHS LIFT estate, CHP has helped reinvigorate diagnostic testing across the region, enabling increased diagnostic capacity closer to home and supporting the Government’s ambition to reduce pressure on acute hospitals.
At Barbara Castle Way, Blackburn, an X-ray suite has been recommissioned through CHP investment. The new X-ray will deliver approximately 120 appointments per day in a community setting, providing greater flexibility for patients.
This addition will take pressure off the Blackburn Royal Teaching Hospital and represents an important step in reducing waiting times and improving access to X-ray services in the area.
At Accrington Acorn Primary Care Centre, the new X-ray suite forms part of a wider programme of improvement works across the building. Funded by CHP and delivered by the Eric Wright Group, the £2m investment will deliver a range of enhancements designed to support more efficient service delivery, increase capacity and improve patient outcomes across East Lancashire.
The first X-ray room, opened in mid-July 2026, will deliver an average of 100 scans daily, with the second room to be opened to patients, ahead of schedule, in late 2026.
At St Peter’s Health Centre, the site has also benefitted from a £3.2m CHP investment, which has enabled 200 additional mental health appointments per week in the community.
Across the three sites, CHP is unlocking the potential of community healthcare infrastructure across East Lancashire, creating modern environments that support service transformation, improve patient access and enable more care to be delivered closer to home.
The delivery of X-ray suites and expanded services across three key strategic sites across East Lancashire demonstrates how the NHS LIFT estate continues to play a valuable role in supporting the Government’s ambitions and the delivery of a neighbourhood health centre across every community. Through repurposing existing estate, it enables the rapid delivery of modern, fit-for-purpose healthcare environments in a cost-effective way and provides care closer to home for patients without the need to travel to hospital.
CHP are working in partnership with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Eric Wright Group and One Partnership to deliver the projects. The vast investment shows how CHP, and their partners, are not only supporting but driving more effective use of existing LIFT infrastructure to effectively meet the needs of the local population.
These investments highlight the value of NHS LIFT buildings in helping to deliver more care closer to home. By expanding diagnostic capacity and community services across East Lancashire, CHP are making it easier for patients to access high-quality care in local settings and reducing pressure on acute hospitals. We are creating healthcare environments that improve outcomes for local communities and deliver integrated health services within neighbourhoods.
The projects across East Lancashire demonstrate the strength of partnership working in delivering healthcare environments that meet the changing needs of local communities. CHP’s vast investment has been vital in helping to repurpose and enhance existing NHS LIFT facilities. We are proud to work alongside CHP and our NHS partners to create facilities that will benefit local people for years to come.
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Get in touch with your CHP Regional Director and regional Property and Operations team to find out how they can support clinical services at CHP buildings providing high-quality, modern, core NHS facilities for patients in their local communities.
