Sheffield opens doors to medical arena built to tackle regional health inequality

Sheffield’s carbon-neutral built community arena with multipurpose sports facility and integrated medical diagnostic centre has opened.

Located on Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Canon Medical Arena was built in collaboration with Park Community Arena (PCA), Sheffield Sharks basketball team and The LivingCare Group. Operated by The LivingCare Group, the centre features advanced Canon Medical imaging systems including AI-assisted CT and MRI systems, ultrasound and digital x-ray, fluoroscopy, plus consulting rooms and a minor surgery theatre.

Currently the difference in life expectancy between the best and worst off people in Sheffield is 20 years, or 25 years for women, and it is estimated that 20 per cent of deaths per annum in the city could be prevented by removing the direct causal factors of obesity, physical inactivity and environmental pollution. Canon states that the combination of the medical diagnostic centre with a community sporting and events arena operated by PCA not only improves the availability of healthcare to address these inequalities, but expands access to affordable sports, education and wellbeing facilities to help people lead healthier lifestyles and increase physical activity.

Canon Medical Systems UK managing director Mark Hitchman commented: “There are areas of inequality in the UK where wellness is still determined by socioeconomic group or postcode, and this is something that needs to be addressed urgently. With Canon’s long links to charitable causes, academic partnerships, health research and development organisations in south Yorkshire, the city of Sheffield is an obvious choice to build this first-of-a-kind catalyst for societal change.”

Lead picture: LivingCare managing director Helen White, Sheffield Legacy Park ceo Chris Low, LivingCare medical director and sports physician Stephen Feldman, chair of Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Richard Caborn, Sharks Basketball head coach and director Atiba Lyons and managing director Sarah Backovic, Canon Medical Systems UK managing director Mark Hitchman, director of PCA and MLS Contracts John Timms, Canon operations and marketing director Maiko Davison and director of commercial solutions Ian Watson, with MLS Contracts managing director, Sharks Basketball chair and PCA director Yuri Matischen.

Published on page 4 of the November 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.