Community Diagnostic Centres: Extending Access and Reducing Delays

• Richard Tuson
• /
• 19 Aug 2025

The government’s announcement that 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are now open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week marks a significant milestone in improving access to diagnostics.

Since July 2024, CDCs have already delivered 7.2 million tests and scans, with recent NHS England data showing 1.6 million more tests and scans conducted compared with the previous year. Crucially, this expansion supports earlier detection and faster decision-making in key areas such as cancer. Between July 2024 and June 2025, nearly 100,000 more people received a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days, the best performance since the Faster Diagnosis Standard was introduced.

Case studies illustrate the impact:

• Oldham CDC has reduced lung cancer diagnosis times from 42 days to 18.8 days, meeting the Faster Diagnosis Standard for the first time.
• Queen Victoria Hospital CDC now delivers five times more respiratory patient interactions per session, with 92% of patients avoiding hospital outpatient appointments entirely.

For patients, this means care is closer to home, available outside traditional hours, and more convenient. For the NHS, it means easing hospital pressures while delivering faster and more efficient care.

Opportunities for Innovation

Community diagnostic centres are not only about capacity, but also about rethinking how diagnostics are delivered. Several emerging technologies are particularly relevant to CDCs:

• AI-enabled imaging platforms that support radiologists by triaging scans and highlighting urgent findings, such as those founded by Lucida Medical are helping centres cope with workforce pressures.
• Rapid bacterial detection at the point of care – platforms such as NANOPLEX®, created by FluoretiQ Limited, which enable ID and enumeration of bacterial infections in just 15 minutes. Another great client support by HAS Ltd.
• Liquid biopsy tests offering blood-based cancer detection, with potential to expand early diagnosis and reduce reliance on invasive procedures.
• Wearable diagnostic devices providing continuous monitoring for cardiac or respiratory conditions, feeding directly into diagnostic hubs. Companies like iRhythm Technologies, Inc., allow for appropriate medical intervention.
• Portable imaging devices such as handheld ultrasound and mobile MRI, bringing diagnostics into community and non-traditional settings.

These innovations align directly with the CDC model of convenient, community-based care and can help unlock the full value of out-of-hospital diagnostics.

The Strategic Imperative

At Health Analytical Solutions Ltd, with over 20 years’ experience in NHS coding, reimbursement, and system reform, we see this shift as an opportunity for medtech innovators. Technologies that can integrate into or support CDC pathways will be well-positioned to demonstrate value — particularly where they reduce bottlenecks, speed up diagnosis, or streamline patient pathways.

If you have a diagnostic technology that could support the NHS’s move towards community-based care, reach out to us to discuss how best to align with reimbursement pathways and demonstrate value within this evolving landscape.