Construction of the new Thurrock Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) reached a major milestone last week, as local MPs Jen Craft and James McMurdock marked the occasion by laying the final bricks at a special ceremony.

Set to open this summer, the state-of-the-art facility will significantly boost local healthcare by offering faster and more accessible diagnostic services. Once operational, the CDC will provide CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans, echocardiography, blood tests, X-rays, and lung checks. It is expected to deliver an additional 75,000 appointments per year, with services available seven days a week.

Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, highlighted the importance of the new centre for the local community. "Early diagnosis and fast treatment are crucial for improving health outcomes, so I'm delighted that this new Community Diagnostic Centre will soon be giving residents easier access to essential tests and scans," she said.

"This facility represents much-needed investment to expand our local health services and cut waiting lists that have seen people in Thurrock waiting too long for vital checks. Improving community healthcare in Thurrock is one of my priorities and this centre will play an important role, giving more patients access closer to home and saving them a hospital trip."

James McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, echoed the sentiment, calling the project "a major step forward for our local healthcare provision".

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"The 75,000 new appointments will lead to quicker diagnoses and better overall experiences for patients in our area. I'm proud to see our community getting the healthcare investment that it needs," he said.

The centre is being delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction's Essex business on behalf of the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which appointed the contractor via the NHS Shared Business Services framework. The build includes refurbishment of a 1,100 m² building for consulting rooms and staff spaces, alongside a new infill structure replacing a single-storey unit to house specialist scanning equipment.

Ryan Liversage, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Essex, said: "The final bricklaying ceremony is an exciting moment in the development of Thurrock’s new Community Diagnostic Centre, as it shows how close we are to opening up this fantastic facility. Once complete, the centre will deliver a wide range of vital health and well-being benefits for the local area, with cutting-edge healthcare capabilities and the ability to offer over 75,000 appointments each year.

"At Morgan Sindall, we've been hard at work on a number of CDC projects and have been able to draw on this experience to develop a tailored, high performance healthcare facility. What's more, our sustainable, carbon cutting approach to construction aligns with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's environmental commitment, which has made for a collaborative and innovative approach that’s drastically reduced the building’s carbon emissions."

The project involved several complex construction challenges, including installation of a faraday cage for the MRI room and lead lining for radiation safety in X-ray and CT areas. Road widening and car park works were also carefully planned to reduce disruption to neighbouring residents.

Sustainability has been a key focus throughout the build. Using its digital carbon calculation tool CarboniCa, Morgan Sindall applied its 10 Tonne Carbon Challenge multiple times, achieving a total saving of 858 tonnes of CO₂. A major contributor to this was a revised specification of the site’s Air Source Heat Pumps, which alone accounted for a reduction of 510 tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to heating 189 homes for a year.

James Currell, Acting Divisional Director for Clinical and Support Services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This brings us another step closer to being able to offer diagnostic tests closer to Thurrock's community, preventing the need for travel to hospital and speeding up access.

"This will be the first of four centres to open across mid and south Essex, providing us with some of the best provision in the region."