Improving access to local NHS services is helping us reduce national wait times across England, making more appointments available. This includes faster and more direct diagnostic test referrals and results, and increasing the availability of testing in communities and neighbourhoods.
Real NHS improvements in your local area. Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and surgical hubs, plus new technology across NHS services, are already making a difference.
What is a Community Diagnostic Centre?
Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are ‘one stop shops’ that provide a broad range of tests, checks and scans. They are based in a single location, often away from hospitals and closer to people’s homes and communities.
Patients can be referred to CDCs via their GP or hospital-based clinical teams. They help relieve pressure on hospitals, increase the number of appointments on offer and give patients more convenient access to tests so they can be diagnosed and treated faster.
103 CDCs across England operate extended services, opening 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, to give patients more convenient access to tests, scans, and checks outside of typical working hours.
CDCs bring together all the NHS staff and technology required to provide patients with a range of services, under one roof, in a single visit. This means a patient could get an MRI, blood test, and ultrasound, all in a single visit, without stepping out of the building.
This gives tens of thousands of patients access to vital tests, scans and checks around busy working lives.
The status of individual CDCs operating extended services – 12 hours a day, 7 days a week – is reflective of the date this page was last updated. Opening hours and services offered may change in-between updates of the data on this page.
Imaging
e.g. CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, Dexa, mammography
Pathology
e.g. blood testing and point of care testing
Physical tests
e.g. respiratory, cardiology, sleep studies, audiology
Endoscopy
e.g. gastroscopy, flexi sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy*
*Endoscopy is not a required service of all CDCs, but must be offered by all large archetype CDCs. However, this service will be available at a number of CDCs.
What is a surgical hub?
Surgical hubs carry out planned procedures only. Some are in hospitals, as a distinct unit or a dedicated operating theatre, and others are at separate, dedicated sites.
The hubs provide quicker access to common surgical procedures in six main specialties: ophthalmology, general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics (including spinal surgery), gynaecology, ear nose and throat (ENT) and urology.
Surgical hubs are separate from urgent and emergency care services, including Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments, with dedicated staff and appointments, helping to reduce the risk of cancellations because of other emergency admissions.
Benefits of surgical hubs include:
- More appointments available for some of the most common routine procedures
- Fewer cancellations
- Patients are sometimes able to go home on the same day and spend less time in hospital
What kinds of procedures can be done at surgical hubs?
What kinds of procedures can be done at surgical hubs?
General surgery
e.g.hernia operations, mole/cyst removal
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
e.g. tonsillectomies, ear procedures
Ophthalmology
e.g. cataract surgery
Orthopaedics
e.g. hip and knee replacements