A Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) offers a coordinated service for patients that require a single, or multiple tests.

The CDC will transform health services in the area with faster and easier access to diagnostic services for local people.

The centre will be open seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and will provide up to 85,000 tests and scans each year for the community.

These include:

• Blood tests
• Respiratory tests
• X-rays
• Cardiology tests
• CT scans
• Endoscopy
• MRI scans 
• Ultrasound scans

The six aims of a CDC are:

1. Improve health outcomes by reaching patients earlier and providing accurate diagnoses of health conditions.
2. Increase the availability of tests and scans.
3. Quicker access to tests and scans.
4. Reduce health inequalities by reducing variation in referrals, access, uptake, experience, and outcomes of diagnostic provision.
5. Deliver better and more personalised patient experience.
6. Support the integration of diagnostic pathways across primary, community and acute hospital care.

Following an exhaustive process which looked at size, location, accessibility, and availability, the old Sainsbury's site in Hanley was chosen due to good public and private transport links providing easy access for some who may otherwise find it difficult to get to the hospital. 

The site will be easily accessible with both pedestrian access and vehicle access with car parking and additional disabled spaces provided.

The workforce model for the CDC will see the creation of 150 new roles in the area that are open to both internal and external staff.
Apprenticeship roles have already been developed, advertised and recruited to, to ensure this workforce will be ready and appropriately skilled at the point the CDC is operational.
There will also be specialist roles that will be essential to develop through the mobilisation of the CDC.