Health Minister visit marks official opening of Rapid Diagnosis Centre at Whiteabbey Hospital

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has marked the official opening of Whiteabbey Hospital’s Rapid Diagnosis Centre with a visit from the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt.

The specialist clinic was established in 2022 to help reduce cancer diagnosis times and improve patient outcomes alongside a similar unit in the South Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon.

Starting off as a pilot accepting GP referrals, the service has expanded over time and now sees patients from right across Northern Ireland who benefit from co-ordinated examinations and investigations based on their needs, all within a one-stop setting.

Along with rapid reporting of results, clinicians can make onward referrals to appropriate specialties for patients who require further investigation or treatment.

Reflecting on its success so far, Paddy Graffin, the Northern Trust’s Director of Infrastructure, said: “The Rapid Diagnosis Centre, complete with CT scanner, represents a £1.2m investment in our services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It is helping us to transform the care experience of those patients who might not have typical ‘red flag’ symptoms yet still require a level of timely follow-up care after seeing their GP.

“We know the importance of early diagnosis and the centre is here to facilitate that.

“Within the Northern Trust our staff are very proud to play a leading role in putting the Department of Health’s ten-year cancer strategy in to action by providing this new pathway for cancer treatment.”

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said:

“Rapid Diagnostic Centres have already transformed the experience for patients, delivering faster diagnoses, better outcomes and real peace of mind. I am hugely grateful to the clinical teams here at Whiteabbey and across Northern Ireland for the compassionate, high-quality care they provide every day.

“Today’s official opening is an important milestone, but it is also about looking ahead. The Vague Symptom Pathway is now a fully regional service and there is continued investment in imaging capacity alongside the development of the Imaging Academy. Together we are building a system that can deliver earlier diagnoses and improved care for many more patients in the years ahead.”

 

25th September 2025