Thousands More Checks, Tests And Scans Now Available Out Of Hours

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) across England are now offering out-of-hours services, open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

The government says this milestone will allow tens of thousands more patients to access vital tests, scans and checks around busy working lives. Since July 2024, over 1.6 million additional tests and scans were delivered compared to the previous year — and now 100 out of 170 CDCs in England offer extended opening hours (NHS England statistics).

Community Diagnostic Centres are designed to bring services closer to people’s homes by being sited in accessible locations such as shopping centres, university campuses, football stadiums or community hospitals (NHS England – CDC overview).

While the expansion of opening hours offers greater flexibility, the accessibility of these centres for people living in rural areas remains a key question.

Analysis from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network shows that only a limited number of CDCs are located in fully community-based venues such as retail parks or standalone hubs, while many more continue to operate from hospital or community hospital sites (IHPN report, 2024). For rural residents, this may still mean substantial travel, especially given that diagnostic facilities are historically less available in rural areas.

CDC services also depend on digital systems for referrals, appointment booking and results. For rural residents, connectivity remains a barrier:

• Despite investment, thousands of households in rural England still lack access to fast and reliable broadband, which is essential to support digital health systems.
• The King’s Fund has previously noted that CDC effectiveness is linked to strong IT infrastructure, raising questions about whether areas with weaker digital foundations can fully benefit.
• Telehealth usage in rural areas remains lower than in urban counterparts, with digital connectivity and digital literacy both identified as key factors (BPP Care, 2024).

The expansion of CDC opening hours is a positive step in the NHS’s plan to improve access and reduce backlogs. However, for rural residents the full benefits will depend on how far centres are genuinely accessible without long travel, and whether digital infrastructure keeps pace to support smooth referrals and results.

Explore these issues further at the National Rural Conference 2025. Sessions include digital connectivity, rural health and care, housing and planning, and more. The conference runs from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 September. Find out more here.