DHSC invests in scanning and diagnostic equipment for CDCs

The government is investing in scanning and diagnostic equipment for 36 new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) in England.

There are currently 172 CDCs in operation across the country that provide patients with access to tests, including MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds.

The 36 new and expanded centres, backed by a £237m from the government, are intended to boost NHS diagnostic capacity and deliver more care in local communities.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, said: “As part of the record investment we are making in the NHS’s recovery, these new CDCs part of the biggest expansion in NHS diagnostics in a generation – continuing the progress we’re making and helping save lives.

“We’re not just investing in more but delivering differently. The NHS should fit around people’s lives, not require patients to fit their lives around the NHS.

“CDCs mean patients can get tests, checks and scans while they’re doing their shopping on the weekend or on the way to pick up the kids from school – without travelling across town to a hospital.”

Four new CDCs will open in Gorton, Luton, Boston and Bideford during 2026/27 and a further 32 centres will be expanded and improved with new scanning equipment, outpatient clinic space and additional testing facilities.

Of these, 17 will be physically expanded with new rooms and scanning and diagnostic equipment – such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners – increasing the range and volume of tests each centre can offer.

A further 15 centres will receive targeted enhancements, adding specialist kit, new clinic rooms or additional services such as audiology, ophthalmology and respiratory care to existing facilities.

The funding is part of the extra £26bn a year for the NHS announced in the 2024 Autumn budget, which the government says helped the NHS to carry out 29 million tests and scans in England last year.

These upgrades, which are expected to start benefitting patients this year, are aimed at helping patients access a greater range of tests at their local centre, reducing the need to travel to hospital.

Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for elective care at NHSE, said: “We’re making it easier to access care, and our network of CDCs deliver important diagnostic tests nearer to people’s homes, with new, expanded or enhanced centres available to patients across England.

“This expansion means even more patients can have vital checks like MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds in a convenient location at a time that suits them, supporting the NHS’s drive to bring down waiting times even further.”

Commenting on the plans, Dr Bernie Croal, president of the Royal College of Pathologists, said: “Pathology services form an integral component of Community Diagnostic Centres.

“From monitoring heart disease to checking kidney function or diagnosing diabetes, the centres bring diagnosis and treatment into community settings.

“These centres are also instrumental in tackling health inequalities, delivering improved access to diagnostic testing, reduced waiting times and earlier diagnosis for patients.”