Work begins on £17.8 million NHS diagnostic centre

The first spade hit the ground this week (Tuesday 21 October) as construction work
began on a brand new diagnostic centre in Bridgwater.

The Bridgwater Diagnostic Centre, which will be run by Somerset NHS Foundation
Trust, with the medical equipment managed by Ergéa, was given conditional
planning permission earlier this month, with the building expected to open to patients
in early summer 2026.

The new £17.8 million state-of-the-art centre will provide a range of specialist
diagnostic and outpatient services to the population of Bridgwater and the
surrounding areas.

It follows the opening of a community diagnostic centre in Taunton in 2020, as well
as the development of a diagnostic centre next to Yeovil Hospital, which is expected
to open in the next few months.

The Bridgwater diagnostic centre will run a range of services from two CT scanners,
two MRI scanners, four outpatient rooms and two echocardiography/ultrasound
rooms.

This will enable the centre to provide the Bridgwater population with routine and
specialist cardiac and cancer scanning, alongside clinics – very much a one-stop
arrangement for appointments.

Adam Turner, head of imaging at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Both our
radiology team and I are really excited about the opportunities to bring complex
imaging into the community with this new diagnostic centre.

“The high-end equipment planned for this new facility will allow us to perform
complex CT and MRI scans that we could previously only perform at Musgrove Park
and Yeovil hospitals.

“Not only will it free up much needed capacity on our hospital scanners and help with
managing our waiting lists, but this purpose-built centre will also offer a brilliant
patient experience.

“Centrally located in the county, and with good transport links, this facility will benefit
the whole population of Somerset.”

Mark Graves, director of operations at Ergéa UK, added: “This important project is a
clear example of how innovation and collaboration can come together to benefit
patients in Bridgwater.

“Working in partnership with the trust, we are creating a
modern, state-of-the-art diagnostic centre designed to transform patient experiences,
improve outcomes, and help the NHS reduce waiting list backlogs for the
community.”

Stefan Dransfield, managing director at Actiform Ltd, added: “We’re proud to
announce the start of another community diagnostic centre, this time in Bridgwater.
“This exciting new project marks another step forward in delivering high quality,
bespoke off site engineered buildings that bring vital diagnostic services closer to
home.

“Once complete, the Bridgwater community diagnostic centre will help improve
access to healthcare, reduce waiting times, and support earlier diagnosis for the
local community.

“At Actiform, we’re passionate about using modern methods of construction to
deliver exceptional healthcare environments that meet the needs of both patients
and clinicians.

“We’re proud to be supporting the NHS in strengthening healthcare infrastructure
and bringing accessible, state of the art diagnostic facilities to Bridgwater.”

Background
In 2017, a 10-year partnership, managed equipment service (MES), commenced
between Ergéa (formerly Althea) and the legacy NHS trust, Taunton and Somerset
NHS Foundation Trust (now Somerset NHS Foundation Trust).

During this time Ergéa facilitated the total redesign of the imaging department of the
Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital to help improve clinical services,
improving both colleague workflow, efficiency and patient experience.

In both cases, Ergéa’ s team worked closely with clinicians to understand
requirements on the ground, ensuring the redesign was tailored to both staff and
patient needs.

Bridgwater Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)
Key milestones:
 The Ergéa team worked with the Trust to develop the project scope and the
business case to secure funding from the NHS England CDC Programme.
 Planning was submitted 23 June
 Business case approved by the Trust Board and NHS England CDC
programme on 2 July.

 Site works commenced 18 September
 Full Planning permission received 10 October

Kate Elsby, Head of Technology at Ergéa selected the state-of-the-art DI equipment
in collaboration with Adam Turner, Head of Imaging at Somerset NHS Foundation
Trust, which includes:
 Siemens MAGNETOM Vida (3T) MRI
 Siemens MAGNETOM Sola of Flow (1.5T) MRI
 2 x GE Revolution Apex CT’s
 Additional ultrasounds (added as an additional variation).
The £17m+ project utilises 27 modular units covering 1500m² and is due for
completion Spring 2026.
About the building
The Ergéa managed service collaborates with Actiform to deliver a comprehensive
turnkey solution, utilising the latest Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
 Efficient and Modern Design: Fully electric design incorporating renewable
energy sources.
 Sustainable Materials and Ethical Procurement: Ensuring compliance with
high environmental standards.
 Waste Management: Reducing carbon emissions and enhancing local air
quality.