The doors have officially opened to a brand-new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Withington Community Hospital – the largest development on the site since the hospital opened 20 years ago.
The purpose-built Manchester and Trafford CDC will provide patients with quicker and more convenient access to a range of checks, scans and tests closer to home, reducing the need to travel to one of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MFT) major hospital sites for routine diagnostic appointments.
Open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the state-of-the-art centre is expected to deliver approximately 129,000 diagnostic tests this year, helping to reduce waiting times and support earlier diagnosis and treatment.
The Withington centre will operate alongside the existing CDCs in Harpurhey and Gorton, which have delivered more than 450,000 additional diagnostic tests since the programme launched in 2023.
Patients will be able to access services following referral from their GP or another healthcare professional. Services available at the centre include audiology, cardiology, CT, DEXA, MRI, phlebotomy, respiratory tests, sleep studies, ultrasound and urology, among others.
The CDC will also be home to a new Children and Young People’s Asthma Diagnostic Pathway, giving eligible children aged five to 18 access to dedicated asthma diagnostic testing in a community setting.
Previously, there was no dedicated paediatric asthma diagnostics pathway in Manchester for GPs to refer children directly into. The new pathway supports more joined-up testing, helping families access the right care sooner while reducing the need to travel to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for routine diagnostic appointments.
The centre will also support innovative one-stop diagnostic pathways, including haematuria and neck lump cancer pathways, reducing the number of visits patients need to make and the time it can take to receive a diagnosis.
Its opening marks an important milestone, three years after the centre was first announced, and follows ongoing engagement and support from local councils, government partners, residents and communities.
Sohail Munshi, Joint Chief Medical Officer for MFT, said:
“It is great that we now have a purpose-built centre at Withington Community Hospital. With state-of-the-art equipment and innovative one-stop pathways, patients now have better access to diagnostic tests closer to home.
“Earlier diagnosis is key to effective treatment for many conditions, including cancer. By improving access to tests and reducing the need for multiple hospital visits, the CDC will help reduce waiting times, support faster diagnosis and ensure patients can begin treatment as soon as possible where needed.
“Community Diagnostic Centres have an important role to play in delivering the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, with prevention and earlier diagnosis at the heart of improving access to healthcare and outcomes for our communities.”
Paul Virdi, BAM Project Manager, the contractor appointed to carry out the development, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Withington Community Hospital. Building on our experience supporting NHS trusts across the region, BAM is proud to have delivered another quality facility that will improve accessibility and help reduce treatment times for communities across Manchester and Trafford.”