How Community Diagnostic Centres Are Speeding Up Cancer Pathways

Community Diagnostic Centres are speeding up cancer pathways by delivering tests and scans more quickly, ensuring patients get diagnosed or ruled out in days rather than weeks

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on MSN

Patients across England can now access checks, tests, and scans out of hours at 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), which are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced.

The move is already increasing access and speeding up diagnosis. Since July 2024, 7.2 million tests and scans have been delivered at CDCs, based in convenient community locations such as shopping centres, hospitals, and university campuses.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, the NHS carried out 1.6 million more tests and scans compared with the previous year. During the same period, 218,463 patients had cancer ruled out or diagnosed within 28 days, with nearly 97,000 more patients meeting the faster diagnosis standard than the year before.

Early Success Stories

At Oldham CDC in Greater Manchester, extended opening hours have significantly reduced lung cancer diagnosis times, cutting the wait from 42 days to just 18.8. Meanwhile, Queen Victoria Hospital CDC in East Grinstead, West Sussex, has seen a fivefold increase in respiratory patient interactions per session, with an impressive 92% of cases avoiding the need for hospital outpatient appointments. For practice managers, these improvements mean suspected cancer patients are moving through the system faster, reducing the burden on GPs who often field repeat queries while patients wait for results.

What This Means for General Practices

• Reduced pressure on GPs: With faster diagnostic turnaround, practices can provide patients with quicker answers, easing repeat consultations.
• Improved patient flow: Referral pathways to CDCs mean GPs can move patients more efficiently through the system, reducing delays in care.
• Patient confidence: Access to local, out-of-hours diagnostics makes it easier for patients to attend, reducing DNAs (Did Not Attends) and strengthening trust in primary care.
• Enhanced collaboration: GP practices will play a crucial role in signposting and referring patients, ensuring they benefit from these extended services.

The Government has backed the expansion with £6 billion in capital investment over five years, including £600 million in 2025/26 to transform diagnostic services. Plans include opening up to five additional CDCs and extending evening and weekend opening hours across the network.