Doors open to a new Community Diagnostic Centre

15 May 2024

A new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has opened its doors in York, to help speed up the detection of many serious illnesses - meaning patients can start their treatment and recovery much sooner.

Located at Askham Bar Community Care Centre, the CDC will play a vital role in speeding up diagnosis for illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease, and help to reduce waiting times for patients by offering a range of diagnostic tests, checks and scans including MRIs, CTs and ultrasounds.

GPs will be able to refer patients to the centre, which is not only more convenient for many patients than travelling to hospital but is also more efficient for staff and will free up clinicians’ time to help further cut NHS waiting lists.

Provided in partnership with Nimbuscare, once fully operational around 70,000 additional diagnostic appointments will be available to patients, including a planned 9,000 CT and MRI scans in the first year.

Simon Morritt, Chief Executive, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Having this new facility and the capacity to conduct so many additional tests will be incredibly beneficial to the health of people across the area, as it will help us to detect and treat serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions.

“It will also help free up clinicians’ time to help further cut the waiting lists and reduce pressures faced by our hospitals.”

Prof. Michael Holmes, Chair, Nimbuscare, added: "We are very happy to continue our collaboration with the Trust in bringing services closer to patients.  The opening of this diagnostic centre will be of significant benefit for the people of York and will contribute to the release of pressures for our partners working in the secondary sector.  At Nimbuscare, we are committed to community service delivery through local collaborative working."

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) York Director, Sarah Coltman-Lovell, said: "As the NHS emerges from the shadow of the COVID pandemic, we know there are significant numbers of people who need to access diagnostic services like MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds.  The opening of the Community Diagnostic Centre here in York will help alleviate some of that pressure and ensure more people can get a timely diagnosis and if it's something serious, can begin their treatment and recovery sooner."

A further CDC will be opening later this year in Scarborough.