Oldham CDC has been credited as a success story in the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Diagnostics report which examines the current state and future of the CDC programme.
About the inclusion, our Managing Director Richard Evans, said:
"It's great to see our CDC at Oldham feature so positively in this report and be used to support improvements for the diagnostic programme going forward. We are extremely proud of our achievements at Oldham, our teams have seamlessly partnered with the NHS to deliver much needed additional capacity for patients in the community including vital PET-CT scans for cancer diagnosis. Inclusion in this report is great recognition of their work."
Speaking in June 2023 at the official opening of Oldham Community Diagnostic Centre, Professor Sir Mike Richards said:
"It's a wonderful development. It absolutely fulfils the vision of a large community diagnostic centre. I think it's gone beyond what I originally had in mind and that's wonderful to see."
Oldham, Rochdale and the Bury area of Greater Manchester has some of the highest levels of deprivation and poorest population health in England. Alliance Medical Limited was commissioned by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust to establish a new facility to provide much needed diagnostic capacity.
The CDC has greatly improved patient waiting times. Between December 2022 and March 2023:
- Success in meeting the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard target improved from 52.2% to 71.6%.
- The average number of days from referral to a cancer diagnosis being confirmed or ruled out reduced from 34 days to 28 days.
The CDC programme in England aims to enhance diagnostic services, with a goal of opening 160 centres by March 2025. Progress has been made, with 127 CDCs operational by December 2023. However, concerns exist about regional imbalances, prompting a need for focused resources in areas within sufficient coverage. Funding constraints are acknowledged, and sustained investment is recommended. Ongoing scrutiny is urged to ensure the programme's effectiveness and extension to areas in need.
Roundtable speakers acknowledged the potential of CDCs to transform patient access to diagnostic services but stressed the need for careful nationwide distribution for equity. Emphasis is placed on prioritising CDCs in regions with deprivation, health disparities, and limited resources.
The CDC programme’s effectiveness relies on providing a broad range of diagnostic services. The inquiry aimed to identify and prioritise specific tests, checks, and scans necessary for early patient diagnosis. NHS Trust representatives highlighted the success of CDCs in offering comprehensive diagnostic facilities, streamlining patient care, and empowering healthcare professionals. CDCs, including standard, large, and spoke models, must provide core diagnostic services such as imaging, physiological measurement, and pathology. Large CDCs are additionally required to offer endoscopy services.
The Richards' Review recommended upgrading equipment and enhancing digitisation in diagnostics for efficiency and seamless care. Roundtable experts emphasised the importance of providing CDCs with up-to-date equipment for accurate and efficient diagnostic procedures. NHSE representatives reiterated their commitment to equipping CDCs with new machines.
The digitisation of diagnostic services, especially in CDCs, is seen as transformative for streamlining operations and enhancing patient experiences. Securing robust digital infrastructure is deemed essential for sustainable healthcare. Proactive collaboration between CDCs and primary care providers, particularly General Practitioners (GPs), is emphasised to ensure smooth patient pathways. Barriers, such as complex digital referral systems, need addressing to facilitate equitable access to CDCs for all patients.
In addition to equipment and digital infrastructure, workforce is a critical factor in CDC delivery. Specialists at roundtables agreed that CDCs have significantly increased the diagnostic workload. In a case study on radiology, the Royal College of Radiologists found that CDCs have led to a substantial increase in workload for existing Trust employees, with a considerable portion finding it unmanageable. A case study on pathology highlighted the overwhelming demand, with experts emphasising the urgent need to expand the workforce to meet growing diagnostic service demands, aligning with the government's commitment to timely and accurate diagnoses.
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