Damien Moore MP Confirms Ground breaking New £5 million Community Diagnostic Centre at Southport Hospital

SOUTHPORT'S Conservative MP, Damien Moore, has confirmed a £5 million investment into Southport Hospital for a new permanent Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which is expected to open in December 2022.

This follows Mr. Moore's repeated engagement with the Department for Health to ensure that his constituents get the care they need and deserve.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care this week approved 10 new sites across England, with Southport making the list. The new Southport CDC will drastically increase diagnostic capacity and reduce waiting times in the Town.

Mr. Moore has welcomed the:- "ground breaking investment into Southport Hospital," saying that such centres improve access to:- CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds, endoscopies, blood tests, and much more.

Southport's new CDC is expected to open in December due to more than £4.8 million in capital funding from the Government. It represents the largest of several multi million pound projects at the Hospital over recent years, including:- £1.25 million for the A&E and £1 million for a new patient discharge lounge, which opened earlier this year.

The announcement follows recent campaigning by Damien Moore MP for improved health services in Southport and comes on the back of his repeated meetings with Ministers and officials at the Department for Health.

In September, he launched his petition for the return of Southport's Children's A&E, which was lost in 2003 under a Liberal Democrat MP and at the direction of the then Labour Government, following a re-calibration of Hospital services in the Town.

Mr. Moore expects that this massive £5 million investment is just the beginning of a new era of improved access to healthcare in Southport. He is also pushing for the return of Clatterbridge cancer services to Southport Hospital, improved stroke services, and for more ways for patients to:- 'self refer' for routine treatments.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said:- "I'm so pleased that Southport has been chosen by the Government to receive £5 million in capital investment for a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) based at Southport Hospital. I have long called for increased access to healthcare in our Town, and am therefore delighted that the new Southport CDC is planned to open in less than 2 months, in December this year. Southport's permanent CDC will drastically increase diagnostic capacity and reduce waiting times in our town, allowing much more rapid access to CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds, endoscopies, and other crucial services. This ground breaking investment into Southport Hospital will revolutionise healthcare for my constituents, and I very much look forward to supporting the new CDC as it opens. Improving Southport's health services is integral to my plan for our Town, whether that's the new £5 million CDC, bringing Clatterbridge services back for cancer patients, or my recently launched campaign for the full return of our Children's A&E."

Lesley Neary, Chief Operating Officer of Southport Hospital, said:- "We are delighted to hear that we have been successful in our bid to become a Community Diagnostic Centre. The new CDC is just one part of our plans to further invest in local services. It will be an expansion of our current services at Southport and Formby District General Hospital and will provide a modern '1 stop shop' diagnostics and healthcare facility. The CDC will increase the range and capacity of diagnostic tests available, and provide more timely diagnoses for patients."

Emily Spurrell invites residents to share views and concerns at monthly PCC Surgeries

MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner is launching regular public surgeries to hear the views and feedback of local people on how we can build a stronger, safer Merseyside. Emily Spurrell is introducing the monthly advice surgeries as part of her commitment to giving local people a greater voice on policing, crime and community safety issues, within Merseyside. The PCC advice surgeries will enable Emily to meet residents from across the Region face to face and in confidence to listen to their questions or concerns about the performance or oversight of Merseyside Police and provide an opportunity for them to receive a response directly from the Commissioner.

The Commissioner and her team will work with residents to identify the best route for their enquiry and discuss any action that can be taken or supported by her office. To do this, Emily is planning to hold monthly advice surgeries, with 2 in each local Authority area, as well as 2 virtual sessions, to ensure all geographical Regions across Merseyside have access to appointments.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- "When I was elected, I promised to be a loud voice on behalf of people across our fantastic Region and ensure the views of residents are at the heart of local policing. Launching these regular advice surgeries is a great way to hear directly from local communities about any views or concerns they have and are a crucial way I can ensure I am as accessible as possible to local people. I would encourage anyone with views or concerns about policing, crime and community safety across Merseyside to get in touch and book a slot at 1 of these surgeries. I want to hear your views and ensure your voice is heard on local issues. These surgeries are just part of the wider work that I'm undertaking to raise awareness of the role of PCC and make sure I'm alive to the views and opinions of local people. Residents are already invited to submit their questions ahead of my quarterly Scrutiny Meetings to get a direct response from the Chief Constable and her team. These meetings are also live-streamed and recorded so local people can see for themselves the progress which is being made on key issues."

Representing the views of residents is a key responsibility of the Commissioner and an important part of monitoring Merseyside Police's performance and holding the Chief Constable to account. These PCC Surgeries will help the Commissioner to identify themes or trends in public opinion, which will help to influence her scrutiny of the Chief Constable and inform future decisions, including the commissioning of services, projects and campaigns. While the Commissioner is unable to intervene in operational matters, she welcomes your feedback on how the Region is Policed and how we can work together to build a stronger, safer Merseyside.

This is a list of the next surgeries that are currently scheduled for:-

► Monday, 21 November 2022 - morning - Southport.

► Wednesday, 14 December 2022– afternoon - Virtual.

► Thursday, 26 January 2023 - evening - St Helens.

► Monday, 27 February 2023 - afternoon - Norris Green.

► Tuesday, 21 March 2023 - afternoon - Heswall.

► Monday, 17 April 2023 - afternoon - Prescot.

► Wednesday, 24 May 2023 - afternoon - Bootle.

► Saturday, 24 June 2023 - morning - Newton.

► Thursday, 20 July 2023 - morning - Speke.

► Tuesday, 15 August 2022 - evening - Virtual.