PLANS have been approved for a new training facility as part of a £22million diagnostics centre being built at Clacton Hospital.

The East Suffolk and North Essex Trust has been given permission by Tendring Council to install a pre-fabricated single-storey training facility at the new hub in Tower Road, Clacton.

The under-construction diagnostics centre, which was visited by Health Secretary Sajid Javid last week, is aimed at helping to tackle the Covid-19 waiting-list backlog and cutting avoidable hospital admissions, while providing greater access to care for local people.

The trust is working with Colchester Institute to offer job-seekers a helping hand towards a fulfilling career with the NHS at the new hub.

Peter Cook, assistant director of innovation at the trust, said: “We have been focusing on where the workers are coming from to fill the roles at the diagnostic centre.

“With some Government funding, we have managed to put together a programme between Colchester Institute and ESNEFT to work with the residents of Tendring to get them access to these jobs.”

A pilot scheme will see around 130 learners from a range of ages and backgrounds take the first steps towards a new role in healthcare.

Alison Andreas, principal and chief executive at Colchester Institute, added: “We are working to get people into entry level roles, including radiography support, following which they can then progress on to other roles.

“We have already taken on our first cohorts and are now recruiting the third and fourth, which include non-clinical routes with a range of roles.

“It will be great to get people into these roles in their own community.”

The scheme includes a free 12-week programme consisting of masterclasses and work placements.

The Pathways to Diagnostics Trailblazer project received £471,379 from the Government with the aim of providing local residents with the opportunity to acquire skills to support job opportunities created at the diagnostic centre.

The programme will provide people with the opportunity to learn more about the pathways available in medical diagnostics, which include roles in phlebotomy, pathology, endoscopy and medical imaging.