Northern Ireland construction company McLaughlin & Harvey officially broke ground today (January 17) at Braintree's Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).

Due to open on the site of Braintree Community Hospital later this year, it will be one of four centres in mid and south Essex.

Rory Magorrian, Senior Project Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: "We are pleased to begin work on this important project for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. We know the difference that the Braintree Community Diagnostic Centre will make to the local community and we are committed to delivering the centre for them.

"Our specialist team will collaborate with the Trust team to reconfigure and refurbish the existing single-storey St Michael's Health Centre building, which will include a new build extension."

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The centre will offer CT and MRI scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, blood tests, and heart and lung diagnostic tests, allowing residents access to care closer to home.

Open seven days a week, Braintree CDC will conduct approximately 75,000 appointments per year, enabling faster diagnosis and treatment for patients.

James Currell, Acting Divisional Director, Clinical and Support Services Division at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This is an opportunity to see real progress in making Braintree CDC a reality.

"Patients are at the heart of everything we do, and the sooner we get these centres built, the quicker people will get additional access to the diagnostic care they need in a place that’s convenient for them."

Braintree CDC is part of a national programme funded by the Government to increase diagnostic capacity, providing one-stop shops for checks, tests, and scans in the heart of local communities.

CDCs are also being developed in Thurrock, Pitsea and Southend. This project is being delivered via the Crown Commercial Services framework.