Stuart Anderson MP has called for more community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in rural areas to support earlier diagnoses of diseases like cancer. Stuart said doing so would expand diagnostic capacity and improve health outcomes for residents.
The launch of Stuart's campaign coincides with World Cancer Day, an international event observed on 4th February each year. It aims to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilise action to address the global cancer epidemic.
The day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and was established in the year 2000. The World Cancer Day theme for 2025 to 2027, “United by Unique”, aspires to place people at the centre of care.
Since their introduction in 2021, CDCs have benefitted patients with more convenient access to diagnostic checks, tests and scans, in a setting closer to their home without the need to attend hospital sites.
170 centres are due to be up and running by the end of March 2025. CDCs provide access to earlier diagnostic tests in a range of community settings.
By focusing on tackling the backlog for tests and checks, CDCs are designed to reduce waiting times for patients and allow hospitals to focus on treating urgent patients.
As of June 2024, almost 9.3 million tests, scans and checks had been delivered in CDCs. They were backed by £2.3 billion investment from the previous government - the largest cash investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in NHS history.
In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, the area’s first Community Diagnostic Centre opened to patients in October 2023. It provides additional MRI, CT, ultrasound and cardio-respiratory testing capacity across a range of modalities.
In its plan for reforming elective care published on 6th January 2025, the NHS said:
"New facilities like community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs haven’t just added more of the same kind of capacity, but allowed local services to use it in smarter ways, including high-intensity lists where focused teams power through lots of the same surgeries in one day."
Despite this progress, there are still 1.63 million waits for the 15 major diagnostic tests. In its manifesto, Stuart's party had committed to building more CDCs in underserved areas - resulting in an additional 2.5 million checks a year.
In a written parliamentary question, Stuart has now called on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to increase the number of community diagnostic hubs in rural areas - including Shropshire.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I want to do all that I can to secure better investment for health services in South Shropshire so we can improve their quality and outcomes. Since 2021, Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) have significantly improved access to scans, checks, and tests in community settings. To mark World Cancer Day, I have called on Ministers to expand the network of CDCs in rural areas so more patients can access them closer to where they live. Through improved diagnostics and early detection, I hope that more patients will benefit from the best possible diagnosis, treatment, and care."
