Share this Page:
Community diagnostic centres provide diagnostic services to enable patients to get a diagnosis nearer to home, without the need to go to hospital.
Community diagnostic centres will help:
- To improve patient outcomes by diagnosing health conditions earlier, faster and more accurately
- To increase capacity in the diagnostic service by investing in new facilities, equipment and training new staff, contributing to recovery from COVID-19 and reducing pressure on hospitals
- To improve productivity and efficiency by streamlining diagnostic services and redesigning clinical pathways to reduce unnecessary steps, tests or duplication
- To contribute to reducing health inequalities by ensuring everyone has the same access to care and the same health outcomes
- To deliver a better diagnostic service and more personalised experience by providing a single point of access to a range of services in the community
- To support more joined-up care across primary, community and secondary care.
The government has announced that all planned community diagnostic centres (160 in total) will be open by March 2024 to speed up lifesaving checks and tests. This is a year earlier than planned.
Community diagnostic centres aim to offer patients a variety of diagnostic tests closer to home, as well as a greater range of where and how they are treated, reducing hospital visits and helping patients to receive care much sooner.
