Health boss opens treatment unit

The centre expects to deal with about 50,000 patients a year

A new diagnostic and treatment centre - thought to be one of the largest in the UK - has been officially opened by the government's commercial health boss.

Ken Anderson, the Department of Health's commercial director, attended a special ceremony at St Mary's NHS Treatment Centre in Hampshire.

The centre has a minor injuries unit, a walk-in centre for Portsmouth patients and provides day-surgery procedures.

St Mary's is the product of a joint venture by the NHS and a private firm.

Faster service

The Milton Road centre, which will be free for NHS patients, expects to deal with about 50,000 patients a year.

St Mary's is part of a government initiative aimed at treating more patients and reducing waiting times to only 18 weeks from referral to treatment by 2008.

It is one of a group of Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) owned by Mercury Health and run in partnership with the NHS.

Peter Martin, Mercury Health's chief executive, said: "This new centre will mean patients have shorter waiting times, more certainty when they will be treated and, with the increased use of day surgery, spend less time in hospital."