Norfolk and Waveney Community Diagnostic Centre Programme

The Norfolk and Waveney Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) Programme is the region’s largest healthcare investment in 20 years, an £85.9 million initiative to strengthen the UK’s preventative care.

Client

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

Project Status

Completed

Location

Norfolk and Waveney, England

This programme is transforming outpatient imaging with faster scans, monitoring and earlier diagnoses through three new world-class diagnostic centres located at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, James Paget University Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn.

Our team has been integral to the multi-phased project’s successful delivery, providing specialist expertise across building services, fire engineering, vertical transportation, energy, utilities, acoustics, BREEAM and net zero. Additionally, Lexica (member of WSP) also provided advisory services including project management, employers agent services and cost management.

Key achievements

People projected to utilise the facilities each year across all three sites

1.1m

Capital investment from Department of Health and Social Care, the largest in the region in over two decades

£85.9m

BREEAM rating target for all three centres

Excellent

This was a complex project across multiple phases to design, develop and build three diagnostic centres across our three hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney. WSP was a valued partner, playing a key role in supporting our ambition to create industry-leading facilities that increases imaging capacity, reduces waiting times and accelerates diagnosis.

Julia Kazimierczak Head of Major Projects at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and Senior Responsible Officer for the Norfolk and Waveney Community Diagnostic Centres Programme

Julia Kazimierczak Head of Major Projects at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and Senior Responsible Officer for the Norfolk and Waveney Community Diagnostic Centres Programme

Future Ready diagnostic facilities for faster care

The clients’ ambition was to create industry-leading facilities that increase diagnostic capacity, accelerate disease detection and reduce waiting times, particularly for cancer diagnosis.

Each centre is equipped with advanced imaging technology, including MRI and CT scanners, X-ray and ultrasound rooms, alongside dedicated staff health and wellbeing areas. Designed for flexibility, the buildings incorporate Future Ready features to support service expansion, leverage new technologies and adapt to changing needs.

James Paget University Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre

Driving collaborative and value-led design

Lexica (member of WSP) worked with the three NHS Trusts, the Delivery Programme team and contractors to deliver all three CDCs in line with their business case objectives. Over 20 months, our experts managed 12 construction contracts and supported each Trust in working towards BREEAM targets and completing Design Quality Indicator (DQI) assessments at stages 3 and 4, ensuring that each centre was designed in alignment with best practice and user needs.

We also provided cost management from pre-feasibility through business case approvals, navigating significant market volatility and inflation. Our early involvement enabled a value-managed design approach, utilising a holistic methodology to achieve the best overall value.

We supported initial designs that reduced energy use and carbon footprint through natural ventilation, compact layouts and modern methods of construction, while delivering lifecycle costing. Despite industry-wide cost pressures, our focus on standardisation and simplified structural solutions helped maintain affordability and optimise budgets.

Jon Flack Associate Director, Project Management, Lexica (member of WSP)

Jon Flack Associate Director, Project Management, Lexica (member of WSP)

Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn Community Diagnostic Centre

Designing low-carbon services

A key aspiration of the programme was to attain net zero carbon across all three centres. Our consultants worked closely with the Trust to ensure this target could be achieved at each site, while optimising costs. We conducted net zero carbon studies during the pre-construction stage and lifecycle cost analysis models across sites to ensure this could be delivered across each stage of the project.

We also implemented low-carbon design solutions, including air source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and energy-efficient building measures, such as natural ventilation elements. The building services design also focused on embedding resilience and standardisation across plant and systems, using modern methodologies like offsite fabrication to streamline installation and minimise disruption. The resulting design is targeting BREEAM Excellent standards, with the centres exemplifying sustainable, high-performing healthcare environments.

Meet our Visioneers

Rob Clarkeson, Director of Building Services at WSP in the UK and Ireland, has been at the forefront of this major, multi-phased project, bringing together specialists across building services, fire engineering, energy, acoustics and more to deliver this pioneering programme of work.

Delivering these diagnostic centres demanded precision and strong collaboration. By working side by side with the project teams, we brought together technical insight and practical low-carbon thinking to create facilities that will improve diagnostic services and enhance care for communities across Norfolk and Waveney.

Rob Clarkeson Director, Building Services, WSP in the UK and Ireland

Rob Clarkeson Director, Building Services, WSP in the UK and Ireland

Images are courtesy of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.