Work to build a £7million state-of-the-art specialist centre for diagnostic cardiac and radiology procedures will soon be underway at Colchester Hospital.
Patients will be able to be treated more quickly in the new combined interventional radiology and cardiac angiography (IRCA) unit.
Building work can now begin on the Turner Road site after planning permission was received this week.
Neill Moloney, Managing Director of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, said: “This is an essential clinical facility bringing together two departments in a dedicated, fully equipped unit, which will replace some of our existing outdated buildings and equipment.
“It will mean we can provide a more effective service with improved accessibility for both our staff and patients.”
Staff on the unit will be able to carry out a range of radiological procedures, usually involving the insertion of a needle, cannula, catheter or wire into a patient for diagnosis and/or treatment. This type of minimally invasive technique will reduce the level of risk to the patient, meaning they spend less time in hospital and can recover quicker.
As well as providing facilities for cardiac angiography, the new unit will also be used for state of the art MRI conditional pacemaker implants, injectable loop recorder implants with remote follow up capabilities, cardioversions and TOE (trans oesophageal echocardiography) procedures.
The position of the two-storey unit on the first floor of the hospital is a much more appropriate location due to its closeness and travel time to other departments.
Work is due to finish in April 2021. Read more about the plans here.
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