Thurrock’s brand-new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has been officially opened, marking a major step forward in delivering faster, more accessible healthcare for local residents.
The centre began seeing patients in September and has already delivered almost 2,500 appointments, with services including MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds, x-rays, blood tests and echocardiograms. Respiratory, anticoagulation and audiology services will be added in the coming months.
Once fully operational, the CDC will provide more than 75,000 diagnostic appointments each year, all in a central, easy-to-access location at the Thurrock Community Hospital site in Grays, Thurrock.
The CDC is part of a national NHS initiative to move diagnostic services out of busy hospitals and into the community – helping to ease pressure on main hospitals and improve access to timely care.
This new centre is a major step forward for healthcare in mid and south Essex. We’re putting patients at the heart of everything we do – making it faster and easier for them to get the tests they need, closer to home. It’s about delivering care that works for people, in a place that’s built around their needs.
James Currell, Acting Divisional Director for Clinical and Support Services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
The official opening was attended by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Zubir Ahmed.
After undertaking the biggest patient consultation event in the history of the NHS, we’re finally rewiring the NHS, so it works around patients’ lives and the places they live.
Community Diagnostic Centres are transforming how people access care, delivering thousands of extra tests, scans and checks closer to home, seven days a week. Thanks to the investment made in the NHS, patients in Thurrock will now benefit from faster diagnosis closer to home.
Equipped with the latest technology, this centre will give patients quicker tests, reduce pressure on hospitals, and make it easier than ever to get the care they need. It’s another step forward in our plan to cut waiting times and build an NHS fit for the future.
Dr Zubir Ahmed, Minister of State for Health
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Minister of State for Health, Dr Zubir Ahmed, Cllr Sue Shinnick, Mayor of Thurrock, accompanied by James McMurdock MP, local councillors and NHS staff to celebrate the opening of the centre, which is already providing quicker access to vital tests and scans, without the need for patients to travel to hospital.
Shifting care into the community is key to improving NHS services, particularly here in Thurrock.
By providing better access to vital tests and scans, this centre will do the crucial work of cutting waiting lists and save people the time and stress of a hospital trip.
Opening this facility marks another step forward in the Government’s mission to build a genuine neighbourhood health service, so we can all receive convenient and excellent care closer to our front door.
Jen Craft MP
I’ve had the opportunity to see the development of this new centre while it’s been underway, and the transformation is truly incredible. To now see it open and helping thousands of local people is a real testament to the dedication of everyone involved. This is exactly the kind of investment our community needs – bringing essential healthcare services closer to home and improving access for all.
James McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock
Three further CDCs are under construction in mid and south Essex, with centres due to open in Southend (late 2025), Braintree (2026) and Pitsea (2026/27). These facilities will create a network of diagnostic hubs designed to catch health issues earlier, improve patient outcomes, and create a positive experience for patients.