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Government hails CDC success

The UK Government has hailed the success of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), with 100 sites now operational, delivering over 7.2 million tests and scans in the last year.

CDCs allow tens of thousands of patients across England to access vital diagnostic tests and scans out of hours and in their community, with many centres open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Latest NHS England data show that the NHS delivered over 1.6 million more tests and scans from July 2024 to June 2025 compared to the same time the previous year.  For cancer, the NHS hit the Faster Diagnosis Standard with 76.8% - or 218,463 people - having cancer ruled out or diagnosed within 28 days, the highest June since the standard was introduced. Improved performance on the Faster Diagnosis Standard means that 97,000 more people have had cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between July 2024 and June 2025, compared to the same period last year.  

Extending opening hours for CDCs is opening up access and speeding up diagnosis for patients all around the country.  For example, Oldham CDC has slashed lung cancer diagnosis times from 42 days to just 18.8 days, meeting the Faster Diagnosis Standard for the first time. Queen Victoria Hospital CDC in East Grinstead now delivers five times more respiratory patient interactions per session, with 92% avoiding hospital outpatient appointments entirely. These centres are helping to speed up care, making it easier for patients nationwide. 

Community diagnostic centres are a pivotal part of the government’s Plan for Change to transform care, moving it out of hospital and into the community. By speeding up diagnosis and treatment, government is reducing pressure on overwhelmed hospitals and putting patients at ease faster.  

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England National Medical Director, said: “We know people are living incredibly busy lives and it’s vital NHS care reflects that. The services provided by community diagnostic centres enable people to receive the all-clear or a diagnosis at a time and location that suits them - whether before a school drop-off or after a work shift - and extending their opening hours means more people are being seen more quickly.”

The Plan for Change sets out how government is doing things differently to transform the NHS. By moving care out of hospitals into communities, embracing cutting-edge technology, and redesigning services around patients’ needs the government reforms are creating a more accessible, efficient NHS that works for working people.  

The plan is backed by £6 billion of additional capital investment to improve capacity for elective, diagnostic and urgent care services over five years - with over £600 million capital funding committed for 2025 to 2026 to transform diagnostic services amidst growing demands. This includes funding up to five additional CDCs in 2025/26, as committed to in the elective reform plan, alongside extending opening hours for all CDCs at evenings and on weekends.  

 

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