The second NHIC building, it is adjacent to the Daphne Steele Building, which opened last September on Southgate in Huddersfield town centre, close to the university’s main campus. The building is named after the healthcare advocate and governor of Huddersfield Technical College, a forerunner of the University, who spent the majority of her life in nearby Honley.
The 6,800m² facility, expected to open in December, will host new purpose-built diagnostic facilities including MRI and CT scanners. A Community Diagnostic Centre, the first on a UK university campus, will open in partnership with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) to provide access to thousands of additional diagnostic tests for the people of Calderdale and Huddersfield.
Other floors of the building, designed by architects AHR, will contain specialist clinical teaching facilities, also delivered in partnership with the Trust, including new course areas relating to the work of the CDC, such as Diagnostic Radiography. Work with other partners will allow for further developments, including the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc, which will begin this September.
The Emily Siddon Building will also be home to a Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre for local entrepreneurs or start-ups and organisations looking to benefit from locating with the University on the campus. The Centre is supported by the West Yorkshire Mayor and Combined Authority through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It will be operated by the award-winning team responsible for the University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.
Guests at the bolt-tightening ceremony included University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan CBE; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Thornton; Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for NHS England, Professor Mark Radford CBE; Huddersfield MP, Harpreet Uppal; associate director of Strategy for CHFT, Catherine Riley; Regional director of Kier Construction, Daniel Doherty; director of architects, AHR, Rob Hopkins, and Project Manager of construction consultants Gleeds, Russell Green..
“It will be very exciting to see this building evolve over the next few months, with the promise that we will soon see and use a facility that is going to add so much to the University, but will also help to make a real difference to health outcomes in the local community as well,” said Professor Cryan.
“The new Community Diagnostic Centre will bring diagnostic services closer to our communities, making sure people have timely access for tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, all in a convenient location. Being in the centre of Huddersfield means we can give greater choice to our patients, and increase the number of tests we carry out.”
With 280m² of photovoltaic panels, the building has been designed to meet BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards. Additionally, the design aims to achieve the same WELL Platinum certification.