- The hubs play an important role in cutting waiting lists, speeding up diagnoses and treatments
- The programme, backed by £2.3 billion, is the largest central cash investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in the history of the NHS
More than six million tests, scans and health checks have taken place at community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across the country, helping speed up diagnoses and treatments for NHS patients.
A total of 6.1 million checks were carried out at CDCs as of November 2023, since they were first introduced in July 2021.
Based in a variety of settings including shopping centres, university campuses and football stadiums, 141 of the diagnostic centres, including four temporary sites, are already open - including 40 brought forward earlier than planned. They offer patients a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are treated, reducing the need for hospital visits and helping them to receive potentially life-saving care sooner.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said:
The government's £2.3 billion Community Diagnostic Centre programme is the largest investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in the history of the NHS. Placing high-tech equipment in places like shopping centres and near football stadiums makes it simpler for patients to get the care they need, as quickly as possible.
We have now opened 141 community diagnostic centres across England, with more to come, and they are playing a vital role in faster diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
Patients are referred to CDCs via their GP. Healthcare staff use CT scanners, MRI scanners and other new diagnostic equipment to diagnose a range of health conditions. Early diagnosis and treatment are key in preventing death and illness.
The programme, backed by £2.3 billion, constitutes the largest central cash investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in the history of the NHS and we are on track to meet our target to open 160 CDCs by March 2025, with many due to open ahead of schedule.
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS Medical Director for Transformation, said:
Thanks to the hard work of staff, latest data shows the NHS has delivered a record 25.9 million tests and checks over the past year - two million more than the previous 12 months, and almost 50% more than a decade ago - helping ensure patients get the all-clear or diagnosis, so they can be treated for a range of conditions as quickly as possible.
Millions of these tests have been performed at one of our 141 'one stop shops' open across the country, situated in locations most convenient for patients, so I would encourage anyone with a health concern to come forward and get checked - it could save your life.
As a result of the success of the CDC programme and the wider measures outlined in the Elective Recovery Plan, the government met its target to virtually eliminate waits of over two years and has cut 18-month waits by over 90% from the peak in September 2021.
In November, the government also provided £800 million - a combination of reprioritised and new funding - to mitigate the impact of industrial action.
It is also maximising independent sector capacity reduce waiting times for NHS patients. A number of the CDCs are run by the independent sector but available to NHS patients as part of the programme.
Background information
DHSC and NHS England count CDCs delivering tests and accessing national funding as open. This may include temporary sites while the full CDC is completed.
The full list of open CDCs can be found below:
East of England
Bishop's Stortford CDC
Braintree CDC
Clacton CDC
East Norfolk CDC
New QEII Hospital CDC
North Bedfordshire CDC
Thurrock CDC
West Essex CDC
Whitehouse Health Centre CDC
Wisbech CDC
London
Barking Community Hospital CDC
Eltham Community Hospital CDC
Finchley Memorial Hospital CDC
Kingston CDC
Mile End Hospital CDC
North West London Ealing CDC
Purley CDC
Queen Mary's Hospital Roehampton CDC
St George's Hornchurch CDC
Wembley CDC
Willesden CDC
Wood Green CDC
Midlands
Cannock Chase CDC
Corbett CDC
Corby CDC
Coventry City Community CDC
Florence Nightingale Community Hospital CDC
Grantham CDC
Guest CDC
Hereford City CDC
Hinckley CDC
Ilkeston Community Hospital CDC
Kidderminster Treatment Centre CDC
Kings Heath CDC
Leicester CDC
Mansfield CDC
Merry Hill CDC
North Solihull CDC
Rugby St Cross CDC
Shrewsbury and Telford CDC
Sir Robert Peel CDC
South Birmingham CDC
South Warwickshire CDC
Stoke On Trent CDC
Walton CDC
Warwickshire North CDC
Washwood Heath CDC
Whitworth Hospital CDC
North East and Yorkshire
Armley Moor Health Centre CDC
Askham Bar Community Care Centre CDC
Barnsley Glassworks CDC
Bishop Auckland CDC
Blaydon CDC *closes when ICP North - Metrocentre opens
Bradford District and Craven CDC
East Riding Community Hospital CDC
Friarage CDC
Halifax CDC
Hartlepool CDC
Huddersfield CDC
Lawson Street CDC* closes when new Tees Valley Hub opens
Leeds CDC
Montagu Hospital CDC
Penrith CDC *closes when North Cumbria opens
Redcar CDC
Rotherham Diagnostics CDC
Scarborough Gateway CDC
Selby War Memorial CDC
Wakefield CDC
North West
Bolton CDC
Burnley General Hospital CDC
Clatterbridge Diagnostics CDC
Crossland Day Hospital CDC
East Cheshire CDC
Ellesmere Port CDC
Fleetwood CDC
Heysham CDC
Leigh CDC
Liverpool Women's Hospital CDC
Manchester & Trafford CDC
Northern Care Alliance Oldham CDC
Paddington CDC
Preston Healthport CDC
Rossendale CDC
Salford CDC
Shopping City CDC
South East Manchester
Southport CDC
St Helens CDC
Victoria Infirmary Northwich CDC
Warrington & Halton CDC
Westmorland CDC
Whitegate Drive CDC
South East
Amersham CDC
Andover CDC
Bexhill CDC
Bognor Regis WMH CDC
Bracknell CDC
Buckland Community Hospital CDC
Caterham Dene CDC
Crawley Collaborative CDC
Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CDC
Falmer CDC
Fareham CDC
Heatherwood CDC
Hythe CDC
Island CDC
Lymington New Forest Hospital CDC
Medway CDC
Milford Community Hospital CDC
Oak Park CDC
Oxford CDC
Portsmouth CDC
Queen Victoria Hospital CDC
Romsey CDC
Royal South Hants CDC
Southlands Hospital CDC
Swale CDC
West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC
West Kent CDC
Woking Community Hospital CDC
South West
Boscombe AECC CDC
Bridgwater CDC
BSW BaNES Locality CDC
CDC Poole
