Construction has been completed on the Hereford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) this January.
The project was delivered by Speller Metcalfe through the NHS ProCure23 framework for the Wye Valley NHS Trust.
The £18m centre is part of the national community diagnostic centre programme to boost NHS diagnostic capacity by delivering services in local communities.
It offers blood testing and diagnostic imaging, including X-ray, CT and MRI.
The facility operates 12 hours a day and is located adjacent to a retail park, providing easier access for residents and reducing pressure on the county hospital.
The architect and lead consultant for the CDC was Architype, and the healthcare architect was Medical Architecture.
Design features of the new CDC
The building includes a double-height entrance and central waiting area to support intuitive navigation.
Interior spaces use colour coding and graphic iconography to improve wayfinding, including for people with visual impairments and non-English speakers.
The building has been designed to feel welcoming and intuitive, supporting patients who may be anxious about diagnostic testing.
Clinical areas include specialist imaging rooms and flexible spaces for general diagnostics.
Changing rooms are located next to imaging suites to maintain privacy, and consultation rooms and staff welfare spaces are positioned on the first floor to take advantage of natural light and views.
“We are thrilled to see the Hereford Diagnostic Centre completed and ready to serve the local community, which is already making a difference to service delivery on the ground,” said Adrian Speller, Managing Director at Speller Metcalfe.
The building was officially opened by Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Sustainability of the design
Externally, the building is clad in black standing-seam metal with timber detailing at the entrance. The design allows for future reconfiguration or expansion.
The scheme uses a prefabricated timber frame and precast concrete floor plates to reduce embodied carbon.
It has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating of 74.1% and aligns with the NHS Net Zero Carbon Building Standard.
Other projects from Speller
Outside of the CDC project for Hereford, Speller Metcalfe is also delivering a £21m daycase surgical unit at Hereford County Hospital, providing dedicated space for elective procedures and helping reduce waiting lists for local patients.
The contractor has also been named on a £1.6bn national healthcare decarbonisation procurement framework, supporting retrofit and sustainability projects across NHS estates.
