A new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is being built in Coventry, providing a wide range of diagnostic services closer to patients’ homes.
Financed through £14m worth of funding from NHS England and Improvement, the NHS Paybody building on the City of Coventry Health Centre site is being transformed into a modern, state-of-the-art medical facility.
Owned by NHS Property Services, the location was chosen because of its proximity to community services, such as the Coventry Urgent Treatment Centre, local GP practices, and community mental health services.
Once opened, the centre will provide essential services, such as MRI and CT scanners, X-ray facilities, ultrasound rooms, respiratory and cardiac diagnostic services, hysteroscopy, and the capacity to support cancer diagnostic pathways.
In addition, the CDC will be staffed by a team of healthcare professionals and support staff who will offer a seven-day service for some tests.
By early 2025, the centre will be open to the public and will provide up to 75,000 additional patient tests per year by 2026.
The development is part of a larger plan to establish CDCs throughout the local healthcare system, including a new endoscopy unit due to open at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby later this year.
Professor Andy Hardy, chief executive of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, said: “The start of the development of the CDC is a major milestone for healthcare in Coventry as it will transform the way local communities access tests and scans and receive a diagnosis for a range of conditions.
“Once opened, patients will be able to get lifesaving checks closer to home, without the need to attend our main acute hospital site, which, in turn, will reduce their waiting times and improve experiences and outcomes.
“This activity forms part of our wider commitment to improving health inequalities and ensuring that everyone has easy access to the care they need."
Charlotte Jarvis, senior estates strategy manager for NHS Property Services (NHSPS) in the Midlands, added: “We are delighted to have supported the trust in the development of proposals for the new CDC in Coventry.
“The high-tech facility will help to transform how health professionals deliver the care that the people of Coventry deserve, in an accessible location.”
