NHS community diagnostic centres speeding up access to tests, survey finds
Patients are having important tests such as X-rays and scans more quickly thanks to the NHS’s rollout of a network of community diagnostic centres (CDCs), the health service’s patient champion has found.
The 160 CDCs now in operation across England have been opened over recent years to help patients get tested and diagnosed faster than by going to their GP or local hospital.
Louise Ansari, the chief executive of Healthwatch England, which surveyed patients’ experiences of using a CDC, said: “Our research shows that patients have had positive experiences of using community diagnostic centres, with timely, more personal and convenient care. Most of them received quicker tests and so had clarity on their diagnosis sooner.”
The survey found that most people appreciated the speed with which they were seen, the locations that are easy to reach and the service they received, and 87% said they had a positive experience.
Dr Bernie Croal, the president of the Royal College of Pathologists, said CDCs could save lives. He said they brought “real benefits to patients with quicker, easier access through a one-stop shop, leading to earlier diagnoses, better outcomes and lives saved”.
Source: The Guardian, 28 August 2024