NHS patients in Haringey can now get blood tests, x-rays, ultrasound scans and specialist eye tests in a newly opened hub in a shopping centre.

Deputy prime minister and health secretary Thérèse Coffey MP officially launched the Wood Green Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) on the ground floor of the Mall Shopping Centre on Tuesday (October 11).

The centre, operated by Whittington Health NHS Trust, and including services run by other NHS organisations, such as ophthalmology services provided by Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, is expected to have provided more than 40,000 tests to patients by the spring.

All the services are provided in addition to existing local NHS services, to provide extra capacity.

Ham & High: Health Secretary Therese Coffey being shown health tools by a nurse in HaringeyHealth Secretary Therese Coffey being shown health tools by a nurse in Haringey (Image: Crown Copyright)

It is currently operating Monday to Friday but will open seven days a week in the near future.

The trust said the location was chosen because of the wide variety of public transport links to other parts of Haringey and beyond.

Cancer, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease are the largest cause of avoidable death in north central London and a 15-year gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and least well-off parts of the borough.

Ham & High: Health Secretary Therese Coffey gets behind the desk at the Wood Green Community Diagnostics CentreHealth Secretary Therese Coffey gets behind the desk at the Wood Green Community Diagnostics Centre (Image: Crown Copyright)

The centre currently employs around 25 staff.

Ms Coffey said: "This new community diagnostic centre in The Mall in Wood Green is a fantastic example of how the NHS is innovating to bust the Covid backlog and speed up diagnoses – from cancer to lung disease – with rapid access to vital scans, tests and checks in the heart of the community."

Building work will begin later this year to expand into the unit’s lower ground floor with the installation of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography) scanners.

Ham & High: Health Secretary Therese Coffey chats to staff at the Wood Green Community Diagnostics CentreHealth Secretary Therese Coffey chats to staff at the Wood Green Community Diagnostics Centre (Image: Crown Copyright)

To mark the completion of the nine-month project Whittington Health NHS Trust’s chief executive Helen Brown said: “Bringing these new services to Wood Green is part of Whittington Health’s commitment to helping local people live longer, healthier lives.

"I’d like to thank all of the team involved in making the Community Diagnostic Centre a reality, making it possible for local people to get fast and convenient access to the tests they need.”