A new diagnostic centre has officially opened in Somerset, bringing diagnostic tests closer to home for people across the county.

The £17.8 million Bridgwater Diagnostic Centre had its official opening on Tuesday.

The state-of-the-art centre is located alongside Bridgwater community hospital.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust received £17.8 million from NHS England, as part of government plans to improve access to diagnostic tests.

The centre is expected to provide almost 25,000 additional scans every year for people across Bridgwater and the wider Somerset area. It has capacity for MRI and CT, and Somerset's first urology investigation unit.

Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “This government has got the NHS on the road to recovery, with waiting lists down by almost 350,000 compared with June 2024, and a record 30.2 million diagnostic tests and scans carried out in the last year, but there's still a lot more to do.

“The NHS should fit around people’s lives, not the other way around. This brand-new, state-of-the-art centre for Bridgwater is going to offer convenient tests, checks and scans, without a trip to hospital.

“Community Diagnostic Centres like this one are a vital part of how we’re rebuilding the NHS and getting people seen on time again. More of these will soon be opening across the country through our £237 million investment in new, expanded and enhanced centres just like this.”

Martin Wilkinson, director of performance and delivery at NHS England South West, said: “It is great that this latest community diagnostic centre (CDC) in Bridgwater is now open, offering a range of diagnostics closer to home for many people in Somerset.

“We have worked hard with providers and integrated care boards across the region over the past few years to build CDCs across the south west so that people can get an earlier diagnosis and reduce waiting lists.”