New funding has been announced for a bus service to serve a new NHS diagnostics centre in Eastfield.
More than £30,000 has been awarded to fund the extension of a bus route to the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) on the edge of Scarborough, by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The diagnostics centre opened in June – more than two and a half years after it was initially set to welcome patients – and offers CT scans and walk-in blood tests, with MRI and X-ray services.
East Yorkshire Buses said last month that its services 7 and 7A will serve the new Scarborough CDC.
The services will provide up to six buses an hour between Scarborough town centre and Eastfield during peak periods, giving patients, visitors, healthcare staff and local employees a frequent and convenient link to the CDC and surrounding employment sites, it noted.
Last week, North Yorkshire Council officially accepted the grant of £33,333 from the combined authority to fund the extension of the bus route, with no match funding required.
The bus services are also set to serve commuters travelling to businesses near the CDC.
“The introduction of these enhanced links has been made possible through the support of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Schneider Electric, whose financial contributions have helped fund the additional resources required to operate the service,” East Yorkshire Buses said.
It added: “This investment has enabled an additional vehicle to be allocated to the route, supporting the improved timetable, increased resilience and enhanced access to both the Community Diagnostic Centre and Eastfield employment sites.”
Managing director of York Teaching Hospital Facilities Management, Chris Norman said: “The centre will not only improve access to diagnostic services but also help support the long-term sustainability of healthcare services across the region.”
According to the NHS, CDCs are designed to provide patients with quicker, more convenient access to tests, helping to diagnose a range of conditions, including cancer, heart and respiratory disease, at the earliest possible stage.
By: Anttoni James Numminen, LDRS
