Community diagnostic centres helping cut NHS waiting lists, says Sunak

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Sunak said: “At the beginning of the year I made five promises to the country, one of them was to cut waiting lists, and I’m here today to see this fantastic community diagnostic centre in Oldham, which is helping us do exactly that – cutting the waiting list. It’s making a major difference in cutting waiting lists and that’s why we’re rolling out almost 150 of these across the country.” The Oldham centre opened in December last year and so far the existing 92 CDCs have carried out more than three million potentially lifesaving checks, tests and scans in England since July 2021, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. “CDCs have been fundamental to this effort, delivering over three million extra tests which are helping to diagnose conditions from cancer to lung disease more quickly across the country.” NHS national director of elective recovery Sir James Mackey said: “The NHS’s ambitious elective recovery plan, published just over a year ago, had these innovative one-stop shops at its heart. “These 19 new centres will boost access for tens of thousands more patients and build on the great work of NHS staff in recovering services, helping the NHS deliver an extra nine million tests a year by 2025 – an increase in capacity of more than a quarter on pre-pandemic levels.” The CDCs come as part of the elective recovery plan set out by the Government and the NHS to recover NHS services and give patients greater control over their own health.