Coventry University tackles health inequalities in the city through CDC’s central location

Coventry University says it is set to help the NHS tackle health inequalities in the city centre by becoming the UK’s first higher education institution co-located in an NHS community diagnostic centre (CDC).

The university plans to deliver teaching, clinical placements and research, enterprise and innovation at the new health centre, alongside University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Once established, the centre will give the two organisations the opportunity to increase their capacity to educate the workforce of the future, giving students and researchers the ability to make an impact on patients and practice.

The centre, which is expected to see about 90,000 patients annually and provide up to 75,000 additional tests a year by 2026, will target heart and lung problems and focus on expanding the city’s capacity for diagnosing cancers, due to high rates of premature mortality from those health issues in the Coventry area.

Development of the centre located in the Paybody Building is ongoing and it is expected to open early in 2025.

Vice chancellor of Coventry University Group Professor John Latham CBE said: “We are delighted to be involved in a centre that will benefit the health of our local community by targeting problems that are impacting our local population and make healthcare in the city centre more accessible.

“This collaboration will also give our healthcare students access to hands-on NHS learning experiences and placement opportunities in the city centre, enhance our participation in clinical research and patient trials, and support the trust in growing and retaining its workforce.”

The co-location will also support the growth of Coventry University’s research and enterprise in health technology, translational medicine, diagnostics and digital health within the research centres for Health and Life Sciences, Healthcare and Communities, Intelligent Healthcare and Physical Activity, Sports and Exercise Science.

Published on page 3 of the April 2024 issue of RAD Magazine.