Almost two and a half thousand potentially life-saving tests have been carried out at Hull’s new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in the space of just a month.

Since the £18m facility opened on Albion Street in September, a total of 2,415* tests have been conducted including MRI and ultrasound scans, blood tests, and CT scans, the latter of which are used to generate detailed images of internal organs, bones and tissue.

At the top of the performance list is the x-ray service which, at 990 procedures carried out to date, accounts for more than two in every five diagnostic tests undertaken there.

Leah Stabler, CDC General Manager with NHS Humber Health Partnership says:

“It’s fantastic to see the CDC is already delivering what it was intended to, and that’s faster access to diagnostic tests. In some cases, patients seen here could otherwise have been waiting days or even weeks for these types of tests at their GP surgery or within a main hospital setting. Instead, we’ve been able to offer earlier appointments to thousands of patients in a central location, allowing hospital diagnostic services to focus on the more seriously unwell and hopefully helping to reduce some of the anxiety people can experience as they wait for tests too.”

Senior sister, Catherine Hellewell, and members of the CDC phlebotomy team

Catherine Hellewell, senior sister with the phlebotomy service says:

“We’re finding quite a few people who come to us are having other tests here at the same time, making this a bit of a one-stop-shop and really improving their experience as a patient overall.

“Lots of people comment on the lovely building we have, how easy their journey was or how quickly they were booked in, and all this feedback helps to reassure us that we’re getting things right.”

Patients in need of blood tests are currently referred to the CDC by hospital-based clinicians only, with the exception of GP practices taking part in an exciting new pilot, as Catherine goes on to explain:

“We recently began a pilot project with four Hull GP practices enabling them to direct patients straight to the CDC for blood tests instead of patients having to wait to have them done at the surgery. This has proved so successful that we’ll be rolling this out to more GP practices next week.

“The earlier the tests are carried out, the nearer people are to getting answers and either starting a treatment plan or being given peace of mind. Where surgeries are experiencing pressures or high demand for tests, it makes sense to offer patients an alternative where we have capacity and where they are able to be seen more quickly. We are confident that the results of the pilot project will demonstrate the real value of central, community-based diagnostic facilities for both our patients and colleagues within primary care.”

And if you’re about to be referred for a diagnostic test?

Leah continues:

“A total of eight different types of diagnostic test are now available here, from imaging tests like CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans to x-rays, ECGs, spirometry and other lung function tests, so it’s worth a chat with your doctor, or with the hospital booking team responsible for the test you need, to see if the CDC is an option for you.

“No patient wants to experience unnecessary delays and we know just how worrying waits can be, so do chat to your consultant or other health professional to see if tests at the CDC could help to speed up your diagnosis and any resulting treatment.”

As referrals to the CDC rise and diagnostic teams seek to extend their opening hours further, the number of diagnostic tests carried out at Hull CDC is expected to increase, peaking at 140,000 patients per year at full capacity.

The opening of the facility has also created approximately 100 new clinical and non-clinical jobs.

Hull Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) can be contacted on 01482 624800.