The two-storey building, near the hospital’s South Entrance, will feature a hybrid theatre and modern high-tech MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) suite.
Hospital bosses have said the new development will “bring cutting-edge care even closer to home” for its patients and cut waiting times.
The new facility means patients can expect “more timely care and access to some of the latest healthcare technologies”, said the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital.
Once complete, the facility will deliver “high-quality treatment in a purpose-built environment, tailored to meet the needs of the local community”, a trust spokesperson said.
The hybrid theatre will support more complex vascular procedures, while the spacious MRI suite will offer enhanced imaging capabilities.
Meanwhile, the new MRI suite will be able to deliver urgent fast track scans for patients on cancer pathways and for patients requiring routine scans.
York Hospital is working with its construction partner, Merit, for the build.
The trust spokesperson said the company is using “offside building methods” to ensure the build can progress quicker and with “minimal disruption on site”.
They said the new centre has been designed with sustainability at its core and will be low-carbon, fully electric, and energy-efficient, “supporting the NHS’s vision of a greener healthcare future”.
New facility will ‘make significant difference to waiting times’, says trust boss
Liz Hill, the trust’s associate chief operating officer for surgery, said the “exciting development” will “allow us to treat more patients with the latest diagnostic and vascular care, while also improving the working environment for our colleagues”.
Karen Priestman, the trust’s associate chief operating officer for Cancer, specialist and clinical support services, said the new “state-of-the-art” MRI scanner will “make a significant difference to waiting times, which is vital”.
She said demand has been growing for MRI scans and “we’ve simply not had the capacity to meet it”.
“We’re also planning to upgrade two additional MRI machines, which will further expand access for patients,” Ms Priestman added.
“Looking ahead, the new scanner is compatible with artificial intelligence technologies, paving the way for even more advanced diagnostics in the future.”
The announcement of the new facility follows completion of the hospital’s new £18 million accident and emergency department in July 2023.
It expanded and reconfigured the emergency department’s urgent care facilities to increase capacity and improve patient care.
The new department includes an eight bed resuscitation area along with improvements to both the waiting room and the consultation and treatment areas.
It also includes 12 new assessment and treatment cubicles where staff can meet patients when they arrive, and a dedicated safe room for mental health patients.
And there is a closed off suite to handle potential infectious diseases and on the second floor, a 15 seater frailty assessment unit.