A new £17.8m diagnostic centre has been approved for construction next to Bridgwater Community Hospital, following sign-off from NHS England.
The Bridgwater Diagnostic Centre will significantly expand NHS diagnostic services in Somerset, supporting a wider strategy to improve local access to specialist care.
Subject to planning approval, the new facility is expected to open in summer 2026.
The project will be delivered by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Ergea, a managed equipment services specialist headquartered in London.
A new £17.8m diagnostic centre has been approved for construction next to Bridgwater Community Hospital, following sign-off from NHS England
Once complete, it will be the third community diagnostic centre (CDC) in the region, following the opening of a facility in Taunton in 2020 and a second site currently under development next to Yeovil Hospital.
The new centre will provide a range of outpatient and diagnostic services, including routine and specialist cardiac and cancer scanning.
Scanning equipment will include two CT scanners, two MRI scanners, four outpatient rooms, and two echocardiography/ultrasound rooms.
Services will operate seven days a week, with capacity to deliver up to 25,000 additional scans per year.
Subject to planning approval, the new facility is expected to open in summer 2026.
David Craig, Programme Director for the project at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This development is fantastic news for people in Bridgwater and will improve access to vital healthcare scans, as well as help us to reduce our waiting times.
“The new centre supports one of the three shifts of the NHS 10 Year Plan, which involves transferring care from hospitals into local communities.
“Running across seven days a week, it will improve access for people in Bridgwater and the surrounding areas to specialist care, with the centre expected to provide almost 25,000 additional scans every year.
“We have this month applied for planning permission for the new centre, and if approved, the new facility is likely to open in Summer 2026. It will be developed by Ergea, a managed equipment supplier.”
Ergea, which delivers diagnostic and outpatient infrastructure across Europe, is working alongside the trust to equip the new centre with modern technology.
Gavin Brooksbank, Head of Implementation at Ergea, said: “We are delighted to be working with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust to deliver this state-of-the-art centre.
“Ergea is our managed equipment service provider and will be working alongside the trust to deliver a centre with the latest technology that the local population would be proud of.”
While the permanent centre is under development, temporary scanning capacity is being provided at Bridgwater Community Hospital through a partnership with Agito Medical.
Agito Medical, headquartered in Denmark, supplies mobile and modular imaging solutions across Europe.
Dan Keeble, Commercial Director of Agito Medical, said: “We have built a strong partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and together have set up an MRI and CT service that has so far seen 5,760 patients.”
Top image: The Bridgwater Diagnostic Centre