A new community endoscopy unit in Swindon is taking shape.
The new unit, which will sit alongside the town’s community diagnostic centre in West Swindon, is due to open later in the year and will be able to care for up to 6,000 patients annually.
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust selected modular building solutions expert, Vanguard, for the project, with work beginning in January 2025.
The unit will utilise modular buildings created by Vanguard’s own healthcare specialist team.
The new endoscopy unit will be managed by clinical teams from the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
This week, Vanguard and the hospital team have made a big step, with giant cranes hoisting the modular structure into place.
What will the endoscopy unit do?
The new unit will carry out a range of planned gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures, and will complement the many other services already being delivered at the West Swindon Health Centre, such as CT and MRI scans.
Having a dedicated endoscopy unit in the community means more patients will be able to receive diagnostic care that was once only available in large hospitals, such as the Great Western, sooner and closer to home.
Mathew Johnson, Endoscopy Manager, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This new unit will make a real difference, as we’ll be able to see thousands more patients each year, and help reduce the time they wait for vital investigations”
Dr Amanda Webb, Chief Medical Officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “This is an exciting time for the NHS in our region, with many of the changes that have been spoken about for some time now firmly taking shape.”