NHS CDC programme: What happened in October?

October saw further expansion of the NHS’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme, with new facilities opening, an existing centre in north-west London doubling its MRI capacity and construction progressing on a new centre in East Grinstead.

The following is a roundup of key CDC milestones from October 2026.

CDCs that opened and expanded

Braintree CDC: The new CDC at Braintree Community Hospital officially opened on October 16.

Delivered by McLaughlin & Harvey with support from NHS Property Services, the project involved refurbishing and reconfiguring the existing St Michael's Health Centre building alongside a new-build extension.

The centre is the third of four CDCs planned by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, following existing facilities at Thurrock and Southend.

The fourth centre, at Pitsea, is currently under construction and is expected to open in summer 2027.

Wembley CDC expansion: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust completed an extension to Wembley CDC, which initially opened in early 2024.

The expansion accommodates two additional MRI scanners, doubling the centre's previous MRI capacity and enabling an extra 26,000 scans each year.

The two scanners went live earlier in October, following six months of building and installation work funded by NHS England.

Manchester and Trafford CDC: A new CDC at Withington Community Hospital marked its official opening on 29 October.

The £19.2m facility had already begun seeing patients in June and is designed to provide around 129,000 diagnostic tests annually.

The facility also provides specialist diagnostic pathways for conditions including cancer and childhood asthma, allowing patients to access multiple tests through fewer appointments.

It builds on Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's existing CDC provision at Harpurhey and Gorton, expanding access to diagnostic services across Manchester and Trafford.

Portsmouth CDC: A new CDC at Rodney Road in Portsmouth opened to patients in October, following the refurbishment of an existing Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust-owned building.

Developed through a partnership between Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Alliance Medical (AML), the project involved transforming the existing building into a diagnostic hub, with Apollo Building Services appointed as the main construction contractor.

Some services have relocated from St Mary's Hospital, with the new facility intended to increase local diagnostic capacity and reduce demand on acute hospital services.

Poole CDC endoscopy unit: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust's new CDC endoscopy facility at Poole Hospital welcomed its first patients on 5 October, following completion of the project in September.

Premier Modular was the main contractor, P+HS Architects led the design, and AtkinsRéalis provided programme and project management services for the unit.

The new facility includes six endoscopy rooms, a dedicated training centre and a five-washer decontamination facility. Infrastructure upgrades also included a new transformer and standby generator.

The unit is expected to double endoscopy capacity at Poole, increasing access to diagnostic procedures and helping to reduce waiting times.

New CDCs approved and planned

Bilston CDC: A new £25m CDC was announced for Bilston on 26 October, following funding secured from NHS England by the City of Wolverhampton Council and its NHS and local authority partners.

The centre will serve communities across Wolverhampton and Walsall, complementing existing diagnostic services at New Cross Hospital, Cannock Hospital and Walsall Manor Hospital.

The proposed development will be located on council-owned land next to the WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams leisure centre.

Plans for a wider health and wellbeing facility on the site were already progressing following a £20m Government grant secured through the council's Bilston Health and Regeneration Programme.

Construction is expected to begin in mid-2027, with completion scheduled for the end of 2028. The proposals remain subject to City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet approval.

CDCs soon to be completed

Queen Victoria Hospital CDC: Construction of a new CDC at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead moved into its final stages in October, with the £8.4m development approaching completion.

Logan Construction began construction of the CDC in January 2026. It is funded by NHS England and will provide additional space for diagnostic services at the hospital.

In an update on 16 October, the trust confirmed that the building's steel framework, roof and brickwork had been completed, with clinical rooms and patient areas created and specialist equipment being installed.

Furniture installation, final testing and internal finishing works were also underway as the project moved towards welcoming its first patients.

Conclusion

October's developments demonstrate the continued investment in expanding diagnostic capacity outside acute hospital settings, with new facilities opening and existing centres increasing their scanning provision.

Further progress is expected over the coming months as projects including Pitsea and Queen Victoria Hospital move towards completion, while newly funded developments such as Bilston advance through planning and preparation for construction.