Construction is underway on a private medical facility being built in the car park of Kent’s biggest shopping centre.
New images reveal how MRI and ultrasound facilities, set to open early next year, at Bluewater in Greenhithe will look.
How the proposed ‘scan hub’ in Bluewater car park will look. Picture: Grove Radiology
In July, Grove Radiology asked Dartford council for planning permission to install two temporary mobile units in the Red outer car park of the shopping centre.
Their plans explained: “The proposals are situated on an area that includes a total of 12 car parking spaces, all of which will be temporarily lost to accommodate the proposals.
“This part of the centre was chosen as it is an area of the car park which experiences less parking demand, thereby ensuring minimal disruption to visitor access.”
While “temporary”, Grove Radiology applied permission to place the facilities there for five years – until the end of 2030.
One of the two units will be 13 metres long, 4m wide and 3.2m tall and host an MRI machine.
The new medical facilities are being built at Bluewater Shopping Centre. Picture: Bluewater
It will also be air conditioned, have smoke detectors and high-frequency shielded doors.
The second unit will contain a reception area and ultrasound facilities and is slightly smaller – at 8m long, and 3.3m wide and high.
Site set up will take up to a week to install the MRI unit and five days to install the reception/ultrasound unit.
A spokesperson for Grove Radiology explained construction of its mobile MRI and ultrasound unit at Bluewater is already underway.
“We anticipate that the enabling ground works will be completed by the end of November,” they added.
“Following this, the first of the two units is scheduled for delivery in December.
We are very excited about this project and believe it will significantly enhance healthcare accessibility in the area
“We aim to have the ultrasound unit operational and begin services in January, with the MRI unit following shortly thereafter, hopefully by the end of Q1, assuming there are no unforeseen delays.
“We are very excited about this project and believe it will significantly enhance healthcare accessibility in the area.”
The firm proposes that the facility will be open 8am – 6pm Monday-Saturday.
No walk-ins will be allowed, with only pre-booked appointments undertaken and about 20 patients a day expected.
Four staff will be required – two for each unit.
However, it is not certain that the new facilities will end up being used by the NHS.
“The units will be operated as a private MRI/ultrasound facility by the applicant, Grove Radiology,” according to the plans.
“As a consortium of doctors, many of whom work within the NHS, the applicant is committed to benefiting the community by improving access to healthcare, particularly for individuals facing delays through traditional NHS pathways.”
However, they stressed they are “open to discussions” with local NHS providers should “opportunities” arise for “partnership or support” and Grove Radiology includes some professionals who do work with the NHS.
Permission was granted for the facilities by Dartford council in August.