A new NHS diagnostic centre built next to a supermarket in Bristol is being hailed a success.

NHS bosses said more than 28,000 patients have been seen since the centre opened last year.

Darren Jones, the MP for Bristol North West, said the initiative was helping to reduce NHS waiting lists.

The North Bristol Community Diagnostic Centre has been set up in a former clothes store at the Cribbs Causeway shopping complex.

Operated by the NHS, along with private provider InHealth, the centre offers simple treatments and tests for patients.

They can get X-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT scans without having to go to a hospital,” said Maria Kane, chief executive of the NHS trusts for Bristol and Weston-super-Mare.

She said some people did not like hospital environments and preferred visiting a shopping centre.

“It’s a one stop shop. People can come, literally park, do their shopping,” she said.

Jones, who is also a government minister, said the centre would play a major role in helping to reduce waiting lists.

“Getting down that waiting list in the NHS is right up there as one of our top priorities,” he said.

“If you have dedicated facilities, a clear focus on getting through the backlog, you can make sure the system is working more productively for patients, and that’s what we’re seeing here in Bristol.”

The North Bristol Community Diagnostic Centre is one of the largest so far set up by the NHS.

The south west will soon have five, including one that opened in Weston-super-Mare in late 2024, and another under construction in Yeovil.