NHS patients have benefitted from more than six million tests, checks and scans at community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across England, the government has announced.
As of November 2023, CDCs had delivered a total 6.1 million health checks since their introduction in July 2021.
The number of active CDCs is now north of 140, with the Department of Health and Social Care expecting to meet its goal of launching 160 CDCs by March 2025.
The £2.3bn-backed CDC programme is the largest central cash investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in NHS history.
The latest data also shows the health service has delivered a record 25.9 million tests over the past year, according to NHS England’s medical director for transformation, Dr Vin Diwakar. This is two million more than the previous 12 months and nearly 50% more than a decade ago.
“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,” said Dr Diwakar.
A great pleasure to officially open West Kent CDC @MTWnhs today with their amazing staff 👇
— Victoria Atkins (@VictoriaAtkins) January 2, 2024
This CDC — the 141st we’ve opened since 2021 — will help members of the public get faster access to potentially life-saving tests, checks and scans for serious conditions like cancer. pic.twitter.com/ocW8GTtWBx
In its bid to best use CDCs and cut waiting lists, the government has also turned to the private sector. August 2022 saw Steve Barclay announce that eight new centres would be run independently.
Speaking at the time, the former health secretary said: “We must use every available resource to deliver life-saving checks to ease pressure on the NHS.”
To learn more about the NHS can maximise the potential of CDCs, read the latest edition of the National Health Executive online magazine.
Image credit: iStock
