Just 1 in 10 scans moved to community centres despite push

Only about 1 in 10 CT and MRI scans are taking place in “community diagnostic centres” despite a national drive to shift these services into the community.

In August, the most recent data, there were a total of 723,243 CT scans conducted across the NHS, 59,300 (8%) of which took place in community diagnostic centres.

Meanwhile, there were a total of 398,199 MRI scans, 53,572 (13.5%) of which were carried out at CDCs.

One of the main aims of the CDC programme, in its third year, was to improve diagnostic accessibility, and reduce pressure on hospitals by shifting where many tests, including CT and MRI — key scans for detecting cancer — take place.

While MRI, CT and overall diagnostic activity at CDCs recorded by NHSE is up on last year (CDCs accounted for 6% of all tests in August 2023 and 10% in August this year), one expert told HSJ that progress had been “slower than hoped.”

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Source: HSJ, 7 November 2024