For too long, too many people in Aldershot and Farnborough have had to travel further than they should for routine tests, scans and appointments.
Whether it is a blood test, an X-ray, a CT scan or other diagnostic services, people locally know that getting the care they need can too often mean a trip to Frimley Park, long waits, and time taken out of already busy lives.
That is why I am campaigning for a Community Diagnostic Centre in the heart of our community.
I recently visited the new Community Diagnostic Centre in Slough, delivered by Frimley Health Trust. The centre brings services like CT scans, MRI scans, blood tests, X-rays, ultrasound and cardiology diagnostics together under one roof. For patients, that matters. It means tests can be done more quickly and conveniently, people can get answers sooner, and clinicians can diagnose and treat conditions earlier.
It is exactly the kind of model I want to see in our community, transforming the way people access healthcare locally, so more residents can get care on their doorstep.
The new Frimley Park Hospital, backed by at least £1.5 billion of investment, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the modern hospital our communities need. I will keep doing everything I can to support that programme and make sure local voices are heard as it moves forward.
But the future of healthcare has to be about what happens beyond the hospital itself. It is about making sure people can access more services in their own community, without always having to travel to a major hospital site.
That is where Aldershot Centre for Health matters so much. It is already an important local NHS facility, and very much part of the plan for offering health services locally. We should be proud of it and make the best use of it.
But I want to see more NHS facilities spread across our community, working alongside the services we already have, helping to ease pressure on existing provision and making healthcare quicker and easier to access for everyone.
Delivered alongside the new Frimley Park Hospital, and building on strong local facilities like Aldershot Centre for Health, a new diagnostic centre would mean more people can get the tests, scans and care they need without unnecessary journeys.
This is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about making the NHS work better for people’s everyday lives. It is about quicker answers, less pressure on hospital services, and a fairer deal for communities like ours.
I am proud to be working with Frimley Health and a Government that is investing in modern NHS services. But I am clear that Aldershot and Farnborough must not miss out.
Our towns deserve healthcare that is quicker, easier and closer to home. Here, we have an opportunity to make that happen.
That is the future I am fighting for.
