New diagnostic centre checks in for Cumbria

Work has now started on site to build a £19M Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Workington town centre.

The centre will be located next to Cumberland Council’s government-funded Innovation Hub, which is also under development in Central Way. GRAHAM is the principal construction contractor for the development, which is expected to open to patients in spring 2025.

Dr Madhu Varma, Clinical Director of Speciality Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist, said: “We are all delighted that work has now started to build the new centre. Our teams have been working hard to recover from the long-lasting impact that COVID-19 had on our waiting lists, and we are making good progress. Providing more diagnostics will help with quicker diagnoses of a range of conditions.”

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “We are delighted to support this project and our officers have been working closely with the project team to ensure a collaborative approach to both developments. All the plans are great news for Workington and Cumberland as a whole.”

Derek Shepherd, Director at P+HS Architects, said: “We are happy the CDC project in Workington has begun the construction phase. Following the extensive site appraisal and in-depth design development with the clinical stakeholders, it is great to see the project now being built. Now on the path to completion, the Diagnostic Centre will be a great benefit to the community and ensure early diagnosis contributes to improving health outcomes for many years to come.”