INDEPENDENT HEALTHCARE Case Study: South West Region


Permanent facilities have been funded by the private sector, boosting diagnostic capacity for patients in the South West, a previously underserved region of the country. Historically, the South West Region had a shortage of diagnostic capacity, contributing to long waiting times for tests, exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. The region also has challenges due to its rural geography and dispersed population, leading to inequitable access to services. Plans to address these challenges were constrained by the limited capital resource available for investment in new capacity, and a shortage of clinical workforce in parts of the region.


The NHS England Regional team


coordinated a collaborative region- wide procurement for an independent sector partner to provide five additional Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and region-wide mobile diagnostic services. A range of diagnostic modalities were specified, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and cardio-respiratory physiological measurement such as echocardiography, endoscopy and phlebotomy. All services were to be digitally integrated with local NHS


Response to the report Commenting on the report, David Hare, CEO of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, said: “As the recent 10-Year Plan for Health made painstakingly clear, the NHS’s capital regime is in desperate need of reform, with a lack of investment in services severely hampering both healthcare productivity and patients’ access to care. With public finances under considerable strain, it’s simply a no-brainer that much greater use of private capital is made in order to invest in new and improved NHS services. Independent healthcare providers have a track record in investing and delivering accessible, high-quality services for NHS patients all across the country. “Along with our NHS colleagues, we


are therefore calling on Government to provide real leadership on this issue and to capitalise on the huge appetite in the sector to partner with the NHS to invest in its future – and to deliver improved access to NHS services for patients that are free at the point of use.” Richard Sloggett, Founder and


Programme Director of Future Health,


services. InHealth was selected as the preferred partner and has been contracted to deliver these services, which will treat in excess of two million patients over the life of the contract. InHealth invested £32m of capital in buildings and diagnostic equipment, plus 13 mobile MRI scanners, seven mobile CT scanners and five mobile endoscopy units which provided early mobilisation of the new diagnostic services. Mobile services commenced on 1 April 2023, providing capacity 12 months ahead of the first permanent facilities being completed. The service has been shortlisted for the Best Provider of Diagnostic Services at the HSJ Independent Healthcare Providers Awards. The project has delivered some notable


results:


New permanent facilities – The five new CDC sites were confirmed as Weston-Super-Mare, North Bristol, Torbay, Yeovil and Camborne/Redruth. The new CDCs in Weston and North Bristol opened on 1 April 2024, with North Bristol being provided via an innovative ‘mobile village’ solution adjacent to the permanent CDC building (pictured) which became operational in September 2024. The site


in Torbay also opened in September 2024 with the CDCs in Yeovil and Camborne/Redruth currently under construction due to open in 2026. Improved accessibility – All five sites have been chosen to provide the best possible access for the local population in the heart of the communities that they serve, with public transport links and parking. The CDCs are open seven days per week and up to 14 hours per day, offering a wide range of choice to patients for convenient appointment times. All sites cater for patients with additional needs such as reduced mobility, sensory disability, and where English is not their first language. Improved waiting times – Patients referred to the CDCs for their diagnostic tests are seen within the NHS Constitution standard of six weeks, or sooner if they have been referred with a suspected cancer or on a clinically urgent basis.


said: “The Government has set bold and ambitious plans for reforming the NHS and recovering core performance standards but money and capacity are tight. This research sets out some immediate and practical proposals for how the NHS can partner with the independent sector to unlock new capital investment and services that can deliver improvements for patients.” Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the


NHS Confederation, added: “Given the squeeze on public finances, we believe that private investment is one of the only options for raising the capital funding the NHS needs to develop the 21st century facilities that patients expect. That is why we would welcome many of the recommendations in this report, including updating the Treasury’s Green Book guidance, to clarify the off–balance sheet capital investment mechanisms available to senior NHS leaders to stimulate PPPs. This report shows that there is a widening consensus between the public and private sector on creating a new wave of partnerships to inject vital funding into the health service.”


Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN)


IHPN is the membership network for independent healthcare providers. It plays a leading role in the sector by bringing all types of independent providers together, supporting the delivery of greater care to patients, and enabling positive contributions to UK healthcare. At the heart of its network is the principle that our members work constructively and proactively with other healthcare providers, whether privately or publicly funded, to deliver integrated care.


ihpn.org.uk Scan the QR code to download the full report.


Acknowledgement This article first appeared in the March 2026 issue of The Clinical Services Journal. It is reproduced here in edited form by kind permission.


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