Community diagnostic centre set to open in Halifax's Broad Street Plaza in December 2023

The aim of a CDC is to make tests more easily available, reduce visits to hospitals and reduce patient travel by providing a single point of access to a range of services in the community.

The government will open 160 community diagnostic centres by March 2024.

Based in a variety of settings including shopping centres, university campuses and football stadiums, 127 of the community healthcare hubs are already open.

They offer patients a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are treated, reducing the need for hospital visits and helping them to receive potentially life-saving care sooner.

The government has announced that Halifax will be one of the final locations that is set to open in December 2023.

The CDC will be based at Broad Street Plaza and offer ultrasound checks, blood tests, and heart scans – delivering at least 90,000 tests once fully operational.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Patients deserve the highest quality care, and community diagnostic centres have been instrumental in speeding up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease to ensure patients are treated more quickly.

“I’m delighted we will open 160 CDCs a year early, allowing greater access to high tech scans and diagnostics in communities across the England.

“This has been made possible by using all capacity available to us and drawing on the independent sector – helping us to cut waiting lists, one of the government’s top five priorities.”