£26m health scans plan

A new mobile health centre is planned in Stourbridge offering brain and body scans as part of a £26.4 million programme to make services more accessible.

The new centre, planned for Birmingham Street car park, will offer a range of scans, including MRI brain scans and CT body scans, as well as checks on hearing and balance.

Tests for bowel conditions, chest X-rays, cardiography tests and audiology tests will also be offered. Private contractor Mercury Health has applied to site the health caravan in Stourbridge.

The plans have now been lodged with Dudley Council.

Another centre is also planned for Kidderminster Harriers' Aggborough Stadium.

The company is providing diagnostic services for the NHS in a bid to cut waiting lists.

The aim is to provide diagnostic services for long-term illnesses and diseases.

Mercury also wants to site the mobile units in car parks of football clubs like the Harriers, West Bromwich Albion, Wolves, Walsall and Bromsgrove Rovers. They are part of 52 sites across the West Midlands using mainly sports grounds.

The car parks provide good parking facilities during the week and are normally easily accessible and well known.

Mercury says that when the new centres are up and running a total of 190,000 procedures will be provided annually.

The funding to bring in the services costs a total of £26.4 million – £16 million is needed for medical equipment and the trailers and £10.4 million is required for implementing the clinics.

Department of Health spokesman Peter Graham said: "Mercury Health is working with the primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and the Department of Health to provide an innovative and flexible diagnostics service in the West Midlands region.

"This service provides additional capacity for the area, assisting the local NHS in reducing waiting times.

"The provider will deliver services such as scans and ultrasound out of the mobile diagnostic centres."