Government announces expansion of out-of-hours scans and tests
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across England are now offering more evening and weekend appointments, the Government has announced.
From this month, 100 centres are operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Ministers said this will make it easier for patients to attend scans and tests around work and family commitments, and claimed that more than 7.2 million checks have been delivered through the programme since July 2024 – 1.6 million more than the previous year.
Officials added that the expansion has helped improve cancer diagnostic performance, with 76.8% of patients diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days in June – the highest level since the Faster Diagnosis Standard was introduced.
For example, Oldham CDC had reduced lung cancer diagnosis times from 42 days to just 18.8 days, meeting the Faster Diagnosis Standard for the first time, the Government said.
However, independent experts have questioned how much additional capacity CDCs provide. The King’s Fund has warned that CDCs still account for only a small share of all diagnostic activity, and cautioned that ‘the ambition of CDCs will not be realised unless the wider diagnostic workforce is expanded, rather than simply redistributed from hospitals’.
Concerns have also been raised over whether staffing shortages will limit the ability of centres to sustain extended hours.
The Government said it intends to open up to five new CDCs in 2025/26 and expand out-of-hours provision further across existing sites.
Health secretary Wes Streeting, said: ‘This government is determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people’s lives and not the other way around.
‘From early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, we’re meeting patients where they need it most by extending the operating hours for community diagnostic centres and putting patients first.
‘Our 10-Year Health Plan is revolutionising how healthcare works, and this achievement is a vital step in bringing care closer to community. Delivering on our Plan for Change, we’re building an NHS that’s fit for the future.’
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