NHS services in the Metrocentre are one step closer after two North East hospital trusts signed the lease for a new facility.
Bosses hope 145,000 potentially life-saving appointments a year will be provided to the public in a space formerly occupied by House of Fraser.
The plan is for a new Community Diagnostic Centre at the Gateshead shopping centre, which will offer a range of scans and procedures to help speed up screening and diagnosis for illnesses such as cancers and heart conditions. Together, the Newcastle Hospitals and Gateshead Health NHS trusts will jointly run the operation - which is expected to create 134 jobs.
Though plans are still being finalised, the idea is to create a "one-stop shop" for medical scans and tests in the community. The Government confirmed the new unit as one of 19 new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in February.
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This, a possibility first reported by ChronicleLive in August 2022, will see an expansion of the services currently available at Blaydon Primary Care Centre as well as the new £20m Metrocentre facility.
The NHS trusts said this was "an important step in providing improved access to screening and diagnostic services outside of a hospital setting for the people of Gateshead and Newcastle".
Trudie Davies, chief executive at Gateshead Health and Dame Jackie Daniel, chief executive at Newcastle Hospitals said in a joint statement: "We are both delighted to be working with the Metrocentre on this important project.
"The lease being signed is our next move towards the development of the community diagnostic centre at the Metrocentre. The new centre will provide a much-needed boost to diagnostic services in our region and is excellent news for patients in Gateshead and Newcastle – making it easier for people to access the care they need, closer to home."
Ben Cox, of Sovereign Centros, senior asset manager for Metrocentre, added: "We are delighted to confirm that the new NHS Community Diagnostics Hub will be coming to Metrocentre.
"The letting represents a major milestone in the evolution of the Centre. Metrocentre is renowned as a leading retail and leisure destination, but in the future it will also be a key regional location for alternative uses including healthcare."
Mr Cox added: "This initiative is particularly significant due to the repurposing of the former House of Fraser department store space. Delivering alternative uses to Metrocentre is a key facet of the business plan and this project is a major step in the initial phase of that delivery."
Coun Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council, added: “It’s great to see plans for the CDC progressing. The signed lease brings us one step closer to a boost for our local economy, alongside the more obvious benefits of making key healthcare services more accessible for everyone. It’s very good news for the communities of Gateshead and the wider region."
There is not yet a timescale for the centre's opening but it is expected to be this year.
