MP welcomes announcement of a new community diagnostic health centre in Hastings

The new facility in the town centre will provide a range of diagnostic services including phlebotomy tests and ultrasounds.

Backed by £2.3 billion in government funding, these centres are based in convenient locations such as shopping centres, football stadiums and existing hospital or GP sites.

CDCs have already delivered an additional three million tests, checks and scans.

Local NHS chiefs said this week that they are hoping to have the centre up and running by the end of this year. They added that the town centre location for the facility has yet to be confirmed.

Monday’s announcement of 19 more CDCs across the country set to open by the end of the year will help to cut waiting times for elective procedures and cancer treatment, bringing down the backlog from COVID-19 and improving patient outcomes.

Mrs Hart said: “I am delighted that thousands of patients in Hastings will get quicker access to life-saving tests, scans and checks at a new one-stop shop.“Getting the right checks, tests and scans at the right time is crucial to helping people stay well and receive the care they need.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Rapid diagnosis offers reassurance to patients, reduces waiting lists, and crucially saves lives.“CDCs have been fundamental to this effort, delivering over three million extra tests which are helping to diagnose conditions from cancer to lung disease more quickly across the country.“The new centres will take us even further, utilising cutting-edge MRI, CT and X-ray machine to transform the way we deliver care closer to people’s homes helping tens of thousands of people.”