In this edition of our community diagnostic centre news roundup: Feedback Medical’s NHS Partnerships Manager Richard Dulcamara visits Mile End Community Diagnostic Centre, updates from NHS England on the role of CDCs in the NHS Cancer Programme, and recommendations to improve cancer diagnostics from Cancer Research.
A visit to Mile End CDC with Richard Dulcamara, NHS Partnerships specialist
Our NHS Partnerships Lead Richard Dulcamara visited the Community Diagnostic Centre at Mile End Hospital, part of Barts Health Trust, to speak about future plans for the CDC.
Richard spoke with Mile End CDC Programme Manager Henry Chappell around what is coming next for the site.
“Ambitious’ is the perfect word to describe the plans for Mile End. The goal is to transform this local-community hospital into a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre, a one-stop shop that can cater to a wide range of healthcare needs,” Richard explains, writing about his visit.
NHS England says CDCs have provided nearly 2.5 million checks and scans in 2023/24
In its 2024 Cancer Programme Spring update, NHS England highlighted the role of new CDCs in delivering increased diagnostic capacity.
In the update, NHSE confirms 106 CDCs were operational as of April 2024, providing nearly 2.5 million tests, checks and scans in 2023/24.
NHSE says that investment in acute imaging services has helped create additional capacity for over 400,000 scans per year, which has contributed to faster diagnosis across multiple urgent suspected cancer pathways.
One CDC within each system is being earmarked to provide tech-enabled dermoscopy services for the support of the diagnosis of skin cancer, the update explains.
Cancer Research UK calls for reforms in UK Government approach to investment to help get cancer diagnostics back on track
Cancer Research UK has detailed five recommendations to help a post-election UK government meet cancer diagnostic targets.
Among those recommendations, Cancer Research highlights the UK CDC programme as a positive step for the government, alongside pledges around IT and AI tools in the Spring Budget.
However, Cancer Research says for the ambitions of these programmes to be realised it must be matched by “long-term, strategic investment.”
In other CDC news:
Daily Focus: New £42.6 million diagnostic centre to be built in Stoke-on-Trent
BBC: Work begins on two new NHS Diagnostic Centres in Lincolnshire
BBC: New CDC in Torbay promises faster diagnosis
