A CEREMONY will take place tomorrow (Friday, 15 March) to mark the beginning of construction of a new diagnostic unit at Thurrock Community Hospital.

The borough has been chosen as the first place in mid and south Essex to receive a Community Diagnostic Centre.

The centres are part of a national initiative to support faster diagnosis and access to tests and scans closer to home.

That work is likely to mop up some of the tasks that had been earmarked for the now abandoned project to build integrated medical centres in Grays, Tilbury and Purfleet.

Qaiser Malik, clinical director and consultant radiologist at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are delighted to be awarded funding to build this centre in Thurrock on behalf of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System.

"Thurrock was chosen as the first site as it has some challenges with access to tests and diagnostics. The CDC programme is part of a national initiative to improve better access to diagnostic tests and therefore improve health outcomes."

When it opens late this year the Community Diagnostic Centre on the Long Lane site, which will be run by the Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust is likely to replace some of the services currently offered at Orsett Hospital

That includes CT, MRI and ultrasound scans, echocardiography, blood tests, X-rays and lung checks.

However, it will not be offering an endoscopy service.

Currently, as well a service operated at Basildon Hospital, Thurrock is served by a mobile endoscopy unit located at Orsett.

However, that will be closed on completion of a new regional diagnostic centre planned for Pitsea. The service will continue to be offered at Basildon Hospital.

The new regional diagnostic centre planned at Pitsea

The Pitsea development is being driven by the Mid and South Essex Trust which is hoping to obtain a significant amount of additional funding for the project this evening, when Basildon Council's cabinet will be considering increasing its contribution from £2.6 million to £3.4 million.

Thurrock's new centre, when opened, has been designed to deliver more than 50,000 checks per year, with appointments offered seven days per week.

A 'spades in the ground' ceremony will take place tomorrow at around 2pm at the Lond Lane site, where the old Alistair Farquharson building is.

Local dignitaries, including borough Mayor Cllr Sue Little, are expected to attend.