Government announces six new community diagnostic centres to open

The government has said that six new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will open this year, with the ‘one-stop shops’ due to deliver more than 500,000 additional tests, checks and scans annually.

The six new CDCs will offer patients a wider range of diagnostic tests closer to home, reducing the need for hospital visits. The government said it was investing £2.3bn to deliver up to 160 across England by 2025.

The new centres include:

• North Lincolnshire CDC – situated in a car park in Scunthorpe town centre, the facility will offer more than 146,000 additional checks a year, including ultrasound checks, blood tests and CT and MRI scans
• Pitsea CDC – opening in the next few months it will provide up to 46,000 tests, checks and scans a year. Located in a retail park, it will boost the number of endoscopy rooms in the regions for cancer patients and offer potentially life-saving CT and MRI scans
• Ilkeston Community Hospital (Walton) CDC – providing more than 100,000 tests, checks and scans per year. It will be based at Walton NHS Community Hospital and give patients access to ultrasound checks, X-rays and cardiology and respiratory diagnostics
• North Solihull CDC – set to open in winter 2023, the new CDC will be based on a commercial retail site in Chelmsley Wood, North Solihull. It will offer access to MRI, CT and X-ray scans, along with cardiology and respiratory diagnostics – delivering 116,000 tests, checks and scans a year
• Hereford City CDC – opening in winter, the new CDC will be based on an NHS community hospital site in the city. It will offer MRI, CT and X-ray scans, alongside ultrasound and respiratory checks, alongside blood tests – delivering 38,000 tests, checks and scans a year
• Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CDC – the facility, a refurbishment of Livingstone Community Hospital in Dartford, will offer access to ultrasound checks, blood tests, along with CT and MRI scans. Opening in autumn 2023, it will deliver over 96,000 tests, checks and scans

Following a referral from a GP or consultant, patients will be able to get their symptoms checked closer to home and receive a diagnosis for a range of conditions such as cancer and heart or lung disease, rather than travelling to hospital. The government said this would free up clinician time to help cut waiting lists.

So far, 106 CDCs have opened across England, including three temporary sites, with 32 other facilities due to open before the end of the year.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: ‘I have pledged to cut waiting lists and these new community diagnostic centres will do exactly that. By offering checks, tests and scans closer to home, we can speed up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease and ensure patients get their treatment quickly.

‘These centres revolutionise the way the NHS delivers care and crucially, they are saving lives.’

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said: ‘We know early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes for patients, which is why these centres are so vital.

‘Based in the heart of communities, they are making it easier for people to access life-saving checks and cutting out unnecessary hospital visits.

‘They have already made a huge difference, delivering nearly 4 million tests, checks and scans since the programme started in July 2021, helping to deliver on the government’s commitment to cut waiting lists.’

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