More patients in the East of England are set to benefit from faster and more convenient tests, checks and scans after the government today confirmed plans for a new community diagnostic centre (CDC) in Luton, along with expansions or enhancements to another six CDCs in the region.

Currently there are 22 CDCs open in the East of England – which in less than 12 months (April 2025 to February 2026), provided more than 760,000 tests, checks or scans for patients. Last year CDCs across the country helped the NHS in England carry out a record 29 million tests and scans.

Along with a new CDC for Luton, other expansions and extensions to CDCs in the East of England confirmed today include for Clacton, Ely, North Bedfordshire, Northgate in Great Yarmouth and West Essex (St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping).

Funding will also enable the CDC under construction in Ipswich to offer a greater range of tests than originally planned, when it opens.

Adam Cayley, regional chief operating officer for NHS England – East of England, said: “These new, expanded or enhanced community diagnostic centres in the East of England will make it even easier for local people to get important diagnostic tests, checks or scans closer to where they live.

“By bringing high-quality care closer to home, even more people in the region will benefit from vital checks like MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds in a convenient location at a time that suits them, supporting the NHS’s drive to bring down waiting times even further.”

The new and expanded sites in the East of England are part of a national £237 million investment in 36 centres across the country, boosting NHS diagnostic capacity and delivering more care in local communities.

Almost £52m of this funding will come to the East of England, including £25m for the new CDC in Luton.

This will see patients in Luton and across south Bedfordshire have access to diagnostics and follow-up care for endoscopy, CT scanning and bone density scanning (DEXA) within modern healthcare facilities on the University of Bedfordshire site.

The new CDC will be run by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and patients will be seen by clinically trained staff that they currently see, or would have been seen by, on the main Luton and Dunstable University Hospital site.

Melanie Banks, director of redevelopment and strategic planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals said: “This new community diagnostic centre is a fantastic step forward for both our patients and our staff.

“Bringing diagnostics and follow-up care together under one roof, closer to where people live, enables us to detect conditions earlier, reduce waiting times, and ease the anxiety that often comes with delays in diagnosis.

“It also significantly reduces the need for patients to travel to the main hospital site, allowing us to deliver faster, more joined-up care that truly improves outcomes.”

The funding will also see expansions and enhancements at six other locations in the East of England, including new scanning equipment, clinic and treatment room space, along with additional testing facilities.

In 2025, the NHS in England carried out a record number of key diagnostic tests – almost 30 million.

Nationally, today’s announcement will see four new CDCs open in England during 2026/27 – all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

A further 32 centres across the country will be expanded and improved with new scanning equipment, outpatient clinic space and additional testing facilities.

Of these, 17 will be physically expanded with new rooms and state-of-the-art scanning and diagnostic equipment – such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners – significantly increasing the range and volume of tests each centre can offer.

A further 15 will receive targeted enhancements, adding specialist kit, new clinic rooms or additional services such as audiology, ophthalmology and respiratory care to existing or planned facilities.

Together, these upgrades will mean patients can access a greater range of tests at their local centre, reducing the need to travel to hospital – with upgrades to start benefiting patients as early as this year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Thanks to this government’s investment and modernisation, the NHS delivered a record number of tests and scans last year. But there’s still a long way to go before we’re catching disease on time.

“I was one of the lucky ones – my kidney cancer was caught early, and today I’m living cancer-free. But it shouldn’t be a question of luck. The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it, catching illness earlier so we can treat it faster.

“As part of the record investment we are making in the NHS’s recovery, these new CDCs are part of the biggest expansion in NHS diagnostics in a generation – continuing the progress we’re making and helping save lives.

“We’re not just investing in more, but delivering differently. The NHS should fit around people’s lives, not require patients to fit their lives around the NHS. Community diagnostic centres mean patients can get tests, checks and scans while they’re doing their shopping on the weekend or on the way to pick up the kids from school – without travelling across town to a hospital.

“This is part of the extra £26 billion the government is investing in a new, modern NHS that is fit for the future.”

Community diagnostic centres are local centres that provide patients with access to a wide range of tests, including MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds.

CDCs are located in convenient community settings – from high streets and retail parks to leisure centres – and many are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, so patients can access tests closer to where they live, without needing to travel to hospital.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Statistics on NHS diagnostic activity are published at: Statistics » Monthly Diagnostics Data 2025-26
• There are currently 170 CDCs in operation across England. Four new ones are set to open, and 32 are being expanded and improved.
• 108 CDCs in England currently operate for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• There are currently 22 CDCs operating in the East of England. 16 of those operate for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.