Construction has begun on a brand‑new, purpose‑built MRI community diagnostic centre at West Berkshire Community Hospital.
“This project demonstrates outstanding collaboration between the NHS and local charities to enhance facilities at West Berkshire Community Hospital,” said Dr Rob Tayton, Chairman of the Newbury and Thatcham Building Trust.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held this week by Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust to mark the start of construction.
Algeco will carry out the construction, with P+HS Architects responsible for the design.
The facility will house two new MRI scanners, generously donated by four local charities: Newbury and Thatcham Hospital Building Trust, Peter Baker Foundation, Greenham Common Trust and Storey Foundation.
Once operational, the centre is expected to deliver up to 17,500 MRI scans per year.
The new MRI diagnostic centre is part of the NHS’s wider Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) programme, aimed at increasing access to diagnostic services closer to patients’ homes.
The programme has recently seen extended opening hours to provide even more patient appointments, reflecting national efforts to meet rising demand for imaging and other diagnostic tests.
Since joining the programme in 2021, West Berkshire Community Hospital has expanded its imaging services to include a mammography unit, a DEXA bone-density scanner, and two ultrasound suites, as well as digital X-ray machines and a cone-beam CT scanner.
Groundwork for the new facility began last month, with the prefabricated MRI unit expected to be installed in spring 2026.
The build is expected to be completed by winter 2026.
The new MRI community diagnostic centre at West Berkshire Community Hospital forms part of a wider wave of investment by the Trust to modernise and expand clinical facilities.
Earlier in 2025, MTX also completed a major new 1,400 sqm outpatient and urology unit at Royal Berkshire Hospital, using modular construction to deliver consulting rooms, treatment theatres, and specialist imaging and urology facilities.