Dr Zubir Ahmed MP opens CDC at Emily Siddon Building
Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety Dr Zubir Ahmed MP has visited the recently-opened Emily Siddon Building on the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC).
Dr Ahmed toured the five-floor building and officially opened the Southgate Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
The CDC is operated in partnership with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) and is the first CDC to be completed on a university campus in the country.
Dr Ahmed also visited the Health Business Innovation Centre (HBIC), where he met with emerging health innovators from the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator (HHII) and Propel West Yorkshire. He also met with attendees at the ‘Navigating support for health innovators in West Yorkshire, including Professor Liz Towns-Andrews (Regional and Business Lead, NHIC) and Richard Paxman OBE (CEO, Paxman Cooling Systems).
HBIC will become the home to local entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses working in health innovation to tackle health inequalities across West Yorkshire. Both HHII and Propel offer support programmes to early stage and scale-up organisations seeking to make an impact in health, wellbeing and life sciences.
Dr Ahmed viewed the University’s equipment and simulation facilities for its Diagnostic Radiography degree, including the country’s first MRI scanner simulator, and for the Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene degree.
“This government is rewiring our NHS to fit around people’s lives - thanks to the £29 billion extra investment we’re putting into it," said Dr Ahmed.
“That’s why I’m delighted to open the new Community Diagnostic Centre in Huddersfield, which will help thousands of people across Kirklees get treated sooner and get better quicker.
“It will mean people can get tests, checks and scans locally on their lunch break or on the way to pick up the kids from school – without travelling across town to a more traditional hospital setting.”
Dr Ahmed began his visit by cutting a ribbon to offically open the CDC.
Dr Ahmed was shown the fully-working MRI scanner in the Community Diagnostic Centre.
Dr Ahmed was shown the MRI scanner simulator by the University's Kevin Riley.
Dr Ahmed was shown how mannequins are used for dental hygiene and therapy training by student Olivia Ridgeway.
There are interchangeable parts used with the dental simulation equipment.
Dr Ahmed met with NHS staff while being shown all of the facilities in the Community Diagnostic Centre.
Dr Ahmed discussed health innovation with Professor Liz Towns-Andrews in the HBIC on the fourth floor.
University of Huddersfield Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Thornton commented, “I'm delighted to see the formal opening of the Huddersfield Community Diagnostic Centre, here on the University of Huddersfield's National Health Innovation Campus.
“It's a great example of the potential for collaboration between the NHS and the University to bring real benefit for local people. And welcoming Dr Zubir Ahmed, Under Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety, allows us to showcase the wider capacity for world-leading innovation here on the campus.”
Chief Executive, CHFT, Rob Aitchison, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Under-Secretary of State Dr Zubir Ahmed to officially open our second CDC. Southgate CDC is already giving our patients a more convenient choice than having to come to hospital, in a comfortable, purpose-built space.
“We are really seeing how our CDCs are working for our patients – across both our CDCs in Halifax and Huddersfield, we are now testing over 10,000 people each month. Because we can offer more tests, people can be diagnosed and treated quicker, and we can also expand services such as tele-dermatology and breathlessness too.
“The unique partnership with the University also means that students will gain valuable experience working alongside CHFT colleagues in a fantastic learning environment, helping to develop the healthcare workforce for the future.”