Overview

• One hundred community diagnostic centres across England now operate 12 hours daily, seven days a week to provide out-of-hours scans, tests and checks.
• Since July 2024, CDCs have delivered 7.2 million tests and scans—1.6 million more than the previous year—with 218,463 patients receiving a cancer diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days.
• Extended opening hours have cut lung cancer diagnosis time at Oldham CDC from 42 days to 18.8 days and boosted respiratory patient interactions at the Queen Victoria Hospital CDC in East Grinstead.
• The government has committed £600 million for 2025/26 to build up to five additional CDCs and further extend opening hours as part of a £6 billion capital plan.
• Charities and professional bodies warn that tackling regional variation in testing and investing in the radiography workforce are essential to sustain and equalize CDC benefits nationwide.