A new report by researchers from Imperial College London and Philips UK and Ireland reveals urgent need to expand diagnostic capacity in communities across England

The pandemic has muddied an already challenging picture facing the NHS. CDCs can play an important role in getting the NHS back to pre-pandemic levels of care and beyond, but their rollout must be consistent with their design. CDCs must be established in communities not in overburdened hospitals, and critically, be staffed by a highly trained workforce and have the appropriate equipment. At present, there is not enough capacity in the system and correcting this must be a key focus in the months and years to come.

The introduction of community diagnostics offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how we can work with the NHS to build a resilient healthcare system fit for the future, including how and where the NHS delivers timely care to patients. CDCs hold the potential to relieve persistent pressure on acute hospitals and empower GPs and primary care providers to ensure patients can get a swift diagnosis and begin their treatment journeys sooner.

The research demonstrates the importance of locating CDCs in community-based settings, bringing services closer to people’s homes and in those areas where diagnostic services can’t meet patient demand. Philips stands for improving the health of the nation and tackling healthcare inequalities head on. We are working with HM Government and the NHS to accelerate the roll out of CDCs in regions that need them most so that every patient in the UK needing care can benefit in equal measure.