West Midlands market town Bilston has been chosen as the home of a new NHS CDC to improve health outcomes for local residents.
The City of Wolverhampton Council, working in partnership with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, the Black Country Integrated Care Board, and Walsall Council, has secured £25m from NHS England to establish the centre in the town.
The CDC will improve access to diagnostic tests for people across Wolverhampton and Walsall, complementing existing services at New Cross Hospital, Cannock Hospital, and Walsall Manor Hospital.
Plans for a health and wellbeing facility on the council-owned site, were already well advanced – supported by the £20m government grant the council secured for its transformative Bilston Health & Regeneration Programme.
The proposal, subject to City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet approval, is to develop an enhanced facility that combines community diagnostic services, primary care, family support, and leisure services. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2027 and be completed by the end of 2028.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, the Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “To secure this Community Diagnostic Centre is a huge feather in the cap for Bilston and Wolverhampton as a whole. It is testament to the hard work and investment we have put in to deliver a new health and wellbeing campus in this part of the city.
“The inclusion of the CDC means the health and wellbeing campus will act as an anchor, transforming primary and community services and improving health outcomes for residents in Wolverhampton and Walsall.
“The feedback we have had from stakeholders, including residents, has been hugely positive and their input has been invaluable in developing plans for what will be an important community asset.
“We also want our traditional local centres to flourish, and this scheme builds substantially on the investment already made in Bilston in recent years.”
Joe Chadwick-Bell, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s Group Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted the new Community Diagnostic Centre is closer towards becoming a reality, bringing high-quality diagnostic services closer to our patients and improving access to tests and scans across Wolverhampton and Walsall.
“By working together with our partners, we are creating a modern health and wellbeing facility that will make it easier for people to access the timely care they need. Earlier diagnosis can make a significant difference to health outcomes, and this investment will help ensure more people are diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.”