November 2020 – Due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, building work has taken a lot longer than expected. However the MRI scanner has been installed and the build is nearly complete. We hope to moving in to the new facilities in January 2021.
DDRC Healthcare’s 40th anniversary year (2020) will herald the opening of a major new extension to the Hyperbaric Medical Centre here in Plymouth.
The expanded facilities will accommodate the University of Plymouth’s brand new human neuroimaging facility (the Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC)), provide improved facilities for DDRC patients and increase our capabilities for training for the offshore and maritime industries.
The ‘spade in the ground’ ceremony, to mark the start of the building phase of the project, took place on 8th April 2019 with DDRC Healthcare CEO Dr Gary Smerdon, Vice Chancellor University of Plymouth Professor Judith Petts, CEO UHPNT Ann James and Director of BRIC Professor Stephen Hall celebrating the event.
The opportunity for this development has been made possible through collaboration between DDRC Healthcare, the University of Plymouth and the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHPNT).
This collaboration represents an important commitment to advancing excellence in research, healthcare and education in Plymouth. It consolidates DDRC healthcare’s close working relationship with the University of Plymouth and the NHS locally through UPHNT.
In creating the BRIC, the University of Plymouth will be installing a 3-Tesla MRI scanner and creating dedicated laboratories for research and postgraduate development. The state-of-the-art MRI facility will be regularly accessed by UHPNT for patient diagnostics and clinical trials.
DDRC Healthcare patients will benefit greatly from the extra facilities and our students will undertake training in improved lecture theatres and practical areas.
Research is at the forefront of our charitable objectives and the co-location of hyperbaric facilities and brain research expertise will allow us to pursue new avenues of investigation which are coming to the forefront of hyperbaric medicine.
The new building will be operational by Spring 2020.
