Nottingham’s Lister Gate, known for its empty shops, is set to be transformed into a crucial £25m health centre. The city council has given the green light to NHS plans to turn former shops like Claire’s Accessories, Mountain Warehouse and Holland and Barrett at the semi-demolished Broadmarsh Centre into a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
This new centre will be run by Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust and will offer quick tests to patients without them needing to go to hospital.
The CDC is being hailed as a “one-stop shop” for diagnostic services such as MRI, CT, x-ray, ultrasound, echocardiography, ECG, and lung function testing. NHS chiefs say this will help cut down the number of patients waiting for diagnostic tests and give support to GPs in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Live reports that the vacant units will be gutted and the remaining concrete structure’s roof and plant room will be revamped.
The CDC’s plans include space for two X-ray machines, three MRI and CT scanners (although only one of each will be available in the first phase of the project), an ultrasound machine, a room for taking blood, consultation rooms, and a coffee bar.
Paul Matthew, in charge of the finances at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is another important milestone in the journey to provide the people of Nottingham with diagnostic appointments more quickly and on their high street.
“This centre will be vital in reducing the number of people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire waiting too long for diagnostic tests so that they can then either have peace of mind or begin any treatment needed sooner. It will also enable patients to access these tests without needing to travel to a hospital.”
There’s hope that this new place will bring back the buzz to Lister Gate, which has looked a bit tired after lots of shops like Marks and Spencer Home, Boots, Shoe Zone, and WH Smith moved out. These big names left after the Broadmarsh shopping centre shut down in 2021, but now the city council is fixing it up.
Councillor David Mellen, who’s in charge of Nottingham City Council, is really happy about the Community Diagnostic Centre getting the thumbs up at the Broad Marsh site. He thinks it’s super cool that they’re using part of the old shopping centre’s skeleton because finding another spot in the middle of town would have been tough.
“This facility will give people access to vital health services right in the centre of Nottingham, near to the new bus station and car park and a short walk from the train station, in a state-of-the-art building surrounded by new people-friendly green streets and public spaces. It will help to bring people into the area, providing a boost for businesses and creating more jobs.”
Meanwhile, another exciting change to look out for at Broad Marsh is the construction that’s already started: “This is another exciting development happening at Broad Marsh, alongside the recent opening of the new Central Library and Collin Street play area, plus work is underway on the new Green Heart city centre park.”
Part of this process will involve removing a section of the old atrium roof linked to the former Broadmarsh shopping centre.
