The new Braintree Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has been handed over to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust following the completion of construction by contractor McLaughlin & Harvey.
Located on the site of Braintree Community Hospital, the centre will now undergo final fit-out works and installation of specialist equipment before welcoming its first patients at the beginning of September.
McLaughlin & Harvey broke ground on the CDC in February 2025.
The project was delivered through the Crown Commercial Service framework.
Once operational, the CDC is expected to provide around 75,000 additional diagnostic appointments in its first year, increasing access to tests and scans closer to home.
Services will include CT and MRI scans, ultrasound, X-rays, blood tests, and heart and lung checks.
The facility will operate seven days a week, bringing a range of diagnostic services together under one roof.
The project forms part of the Government-funded national CDC programme, which aims to expand diagnostic capacity and improve access to checks, tests and scans in community settings.
In addition to the CDC, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust opened a £1.3m procedure room at Braintree Community Hospital in July 2025.
The new room doubles the hospital's capacity for orthopaedic care and is expected to enable almost 1,500 additional procedures each year, helping to free up main theatres for more complex surgery.
