Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre to discuss how funding helps to improve services in an area of high health need.

Hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, the Prime Minister was on site to view the diagnostics suite and understand how the use of such technology in neighbourhoods is helping to cut the NHS backlog and increase productivity.

The Community Diagnostic Centre was delivered in 2021 and started with an external MRI scanner on pads on the car park. It has since expanded to include non-obstetric ultrasound, cardiology, and respiratory services. An X-ray machine was upgraded in 2023 to improve efficiency allowing radiographers to see more patients, reducing waiting times and placing the service in the heart of the community rather than entailing travel to Burnley or Blackburn.

He took time to meet staff and patients and explore how having the additional services alongside a GP practice, minor injuries unit, birthing unit, physiotherapy, and various outpatient services (dermatology, diabetes, lower limb vascular service, and long-Covid) helped them to deliver preventative treatments outside a hospital setting.  

Every two years a mobile breast screening unit is based on-site for easier patient access. There are well used bookable rooms including eight rooms that can be used for either treatment or consultations, two group rooms and one interview room. With so many services in one place, the Prime Minister described the building as “showing we can increase productivity and provide a better service”.

He also said that “the staff here are very proud of what they are doing, and I say a big thank you to them” (Source: Lancashire Telegraph).

Rossendale CDC is an example of how CHP is supporting the ‘left shift’ within the NHS by delivering prevention, and treatment, in the heart of communities and removing the need to travel to local hospitals whilst giving those who work in our buildings fit-for-purpose, modern spaces.