Seven new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will open to help bust the COVID backlogs, diagnose patients more quickly and meet future demands on the NHS, the Health and Social Care Secretary has today (1 September 2022) confirmed.

The one-stop shops offer a range of diagnostic checks, scans and tests closer to home. Following a GP referral, patients can get their symptoms checked and receive a potentially life-saving diagnosis for a range of conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease more quickly. The new facilities will also relieve pressure on NHS staff ahead of a potentially challenging winter.

So far, 92 have already opened in a variety of settings from football stadiums to shopping centres ? carrying out over 1.7 million tests. This forms part of the government?s ambition to roll out 160 community diagnostic centres across the country by 2025 to deliver 9 million tests, checks and scans a year, with the programme backed by ?2.3 billion of diagnostics investment.