Expanded Access to Health Diagnostics in England Now Available Beyond Standard Hours

Published: 18 August 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Patients across England are now benefiting from greater access to vital medical tests, including MRI scans and endoscopies, during evenings and weekends, following the expansion of out-of-hours services at community diagnostic centres (CDCs).

Currently, 170 CDCs operate nationwide, located in places such as shopping centres, football stadiums, and university campuses. Patients can attend these centres through referrals from their GPs or hospital clinical teams. According to government figures, 100 CDCs now operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week—an increase of 37 centres compared to July 2024—enabling faster and more convenient access to diagnostic services.

This initiative forms part of the government’s broader healthcare transformation plan, aimed at making the NHS more adaptable to the needs of patients and expanding community-based services. Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the government’s focus on offering healthcare that aligns with patients’ schedules rather than the other way around. He highlighted that services now cover early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, reflecting a patient-first approach.

The government has also pledged to open up to five additional CDCs during 2025-26 and plans to extend evening and weekend hours at existing centres. Data shows that from July 2024 to June 2025, the NHS provided over 1.6 million more tests and scans than the previous year.

Health advocacy groups have welcomed the move. Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, stressed that increasing access to diagnostic tests near patients’ homes is crucial to improving early detection of lung conditions, the third leading cause of death in the UK. Laura Challinor, senior policy manager at Blood Cancer UK, echoed the need for further action, pointing out that survival rates for blood cancer remain lower than in comparable countries. She called for consistent diagnostic practices and timed pathways for blood cancer patients to ensure optimal outcomes.

Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, highlighted that while extended hours and convenient locations improve access, growing demand for imaging services requires greater investment in radiography staff. She stressed that without sufficient radiographers, CDCs cannot function effectively and urged investment in new NHS posts to maintain service quality and flexibility.