Out-of-hours tests and scans on rise in England, NHS says

Patients in England now have greater access to important tests such as MRI scans and endoscopies in the evening and at weekends, the government has said, after increasing the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) offering out-of-hours services.

- Nicola Davis

Many of the 170 CDCs in operation in England are in shopping centres, football stadiums and on university campuses. Patients can access them through a referral from a GP or from clinical teams at hospitals.

The government has revealed that 100 CDCs are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week – 37 more than in July 2024 – to offer patients greater and speedier access to diagnosis.

The move to provide more convenient care is part of the government's plan for change which, it says, aims to transform healthcare and make the NHS fit for the future, with an expansion of community-based services a key part of the approach.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said: "This government is determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people's lives and not the other way around.