Community Diagnostic Centres are being rolled out across the UK to transform how diagnostic services are delivered outside of acute hospital settings.
The centres are part of a national plan to increase diagnostic capacity in community settings to cut waiting times, improve patient experience, and reduce health inequalities by enabling faster diagnosis and treatment pathways.
The following is a roundup of significant construction milestones for CDCs this month:
Slough Community Diagnostic Centre: Delivered by Western Building Systems, the Slough CDC opened at Upton Hospital to deliver 150,000 additional diagnostic tests a year, supported by £25m from the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Southend Community Diagnostic Centre: Delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, the £1.2m Southend CDC is part of a wider £60m upgrade for the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The project, located in the Victoria Shopping Centre, was built under the ProCure23 (P23) framework to increase local diagnostic capacity and provide 30,000 extra appointments a year.
St Margaret’s Community Diagnostic Centre: Delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, the St Margaret CDC at St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping was funded £14m from the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust.
The delivery of the CDC follows a successful planning application the Trust submitted to Epping Forest District Council in April 2024. The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust also appealed for artwork from local artists inspired by Epping Forest’s landscapes and wildlife to decorate the CDC.
Southgate Community Diagnostic Centre: The Southgate CDC at the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus has been formally opened by a government minister. It delivers thousands of out‑of‑hospital appointments including X‑rays, ultrasounds, MRI and CT scans and incorporates training facilities linked to the university, making it the first CDC on a UK university campus.
Following the first phase launch last year, the full Southgate Community Diagnostic Centre at the University of Huddersfield campus has now opened, providing expanded X‑ray, MRI, CT and other diagnostic services.This progress follows the opening of the Daphne Steele Building at the University of Huddersfield.
Redhill Community Diagnostic Centre: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s centre at The Belfry Shopping Centre has opened to the public and continues providing CT, X‑ray, ultrasound and ECG services. The project was developed in partnership with Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Belfry Shopping Centre.
Braintree Community Diagnostic Centre: McLaughlin & Harvey has begun construction on Braintree’s CDC, with the facility due to open later in 2026 as part of the expansion of Mid and South Essex CDCs. Once completed, the centre will carry out approximately 75,000 appointments per year.
Stoke‑on‑Trent Community Diagnostic Centre: VINCI Construction is nearing completion of a new £42.6m CDC in Hanley on the former Sainsbury’s site. Work is progressing ahead of its planned April 2026 opening to provide expanded diagnostic services including CT, MRI, X‑ray and ultrasound as part of the local NHS expansion of community diagnostics. Banyards has been appointed to provide commissioning verification services.Featured companies
- Companies:
- Vinci Building UK (VINCI Construction Management Ltd)
- Western Building Systems
- Morgan Sindall Construction