Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, updates on the latest moves to develop community diagnostic centres – bringing advanced medtech into the community.
Patients across England will benefit from faster and more convenient tests, checks and scans after the government announced new investment in 36 new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres.
The 36 centres, backed by a 237 million GBP government investment, will significantly boost NHS diagnostic capacity and deliver more care in local communities.
Professor Stella Vig, National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England, said: “We’re making it easier to access care, and our network of Community Diagnostic Centres 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”.
Four new CDCs, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, will open in Gorton, Luton, Boston and Bideford during 2026/27.
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 state-of-the-art scanning and diagnostic equipment – such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners – significantly increasing the range and volume of tests each centre can offer.
A further 15 will receive targeted enhancements, adding specialist kit, new clinic rooms or additional services such as audiology, ophthalmology and respiratory care to existing facilities.
Together, these upgrades will mean patients can access a greater range of tests at their local centre, reducing the need to travel to hospital – bringing advanced medtech into the community setting.
The Author used AI in preparing this article. Comments upon or questions about this article can be addressed to chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com.
