£24m Community Diagnostics Centre officially opens in Bedford
It will deliver services such as MRI, CT, DEXA scanning, ultrasound, X-ray, cardiology, respiratory and phlebotomy
A new £24 million Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC) has officially opened in Bedford, expanding access to tests and scans in the community and increasing local diagnostic capacity by around 50%.
The centre, based on the former North Wing of Bedford Hospital, offers patients a wide range of services including MRI, CT, DEXA scanning, ultrasound, X-ray, cardiology, respiratory and phlebotomy. By moving these tests outside the acute hospital setting, the facility is designed to reduce waiting times, free up hospital resources, and make care more convenient for patients.
The project, delivered in phases by construction partner Ashe since 2023, first opened some therapy and phlebotomy services in May 2025. From 13 October 2025, the full range of diagnostic services will be operational.
Health Minister Ashley Dalton MP, who attended the official opening alongside Mohammad Yasin MP, Richard Fuller MP, and hospital trust leaders, praised the new facility after meeting staff and touring the site.
“It’s just been fantastic to not only see what’s been built and see all the shiny new spaces and the top-of-the-range, state-of-the-art machines, but also to talk to the staff about what a difference it’s making to their ability to deliver for patients,” she said.
Ms Dalton highlighted how the centre fits into the government’s wider NHS strategy: “This is all part of our 10-year plan for change to make the NHS fit for the future. The shift from hospital to community is absolutely crucial in that.”
She added that community centres like Bedford’s are intended to provide faster access to tests while “freeing up some of that capacity in the acute system so that we’ve got more capacity for elective treatments and more capacity for A&E.”
The Health Minister stressed that CDCs are not a replacement for emergency care but instead provide essential tests on referral.
“It’s going to make it more convenient for people to get tests and scans and checks closer to home. And they’re also open 12 hours a day, seven days a week,” she explained.
Nationally, 170 community diagnostic centres are already open, with further expansion planned.
Ms Dalton also noted the role of the new Bedford centre in early diagnosis of serious illnesses. “That will mean by getting more people through and having more capacity to do those kind of vital tests and scans, we are more likely to be able to identify serious conditions like cancers, like diabetes, earlier and be able to get treatment to people sooner, which really has an enormous impact on patient outcomes.”
The opening of the Bedford CDC marks a significant milestone in the expansion of community-based healthcare services, aimed at improving access, reducing pressure on hospitals, and supporting earlier detection of life-threatening conditions.