More than 10,000 tests have been carried out for patients at Armley Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) since it opened at the end of September 2024.
The CDC, at Armley Moor Health Centre, operated by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, offers tests including ultrasounds, electrocardiograms (ECGs), blood tests, blood pressure checks, sleep studies and spirometry testing.
This new centre means local people don’t have to travel into the city’s larger hospitals for these tests and can book these closer to where they live.
Since it opened on 23 September 2024, over 3,800 blood tests have been taken, along with more than 3,700 cardio-respiratory tests, and 3,300 ultrasounds.
Andrew Fitzpatrick, Head of Clinical Physiology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to carry out so many tests at this new Community Diagnostic Centre – this means patients don’t have to travel to one of the larger hospitals and can be seen in their local neighbourhoods.”
The centre in Armley opened late last year and is one of three CDCs in Leeds, joining Seacroft and Beeston in bringing care closer to patients’ homes.
When GPs or hospital care teams refer people for diagnostic tests, they can select the most convenient location for the patient – which may be their local CDC. This offers an additional choice for patients – they still have the option of visiting a GP practice or major hospital.
The Armley CDC project was funded by the National CDC programme and Community Health Partnerships (CHP) capital funding. CHP, a Department of Health and Social Care-owned company, runs 300+ health centres across England.
Jane Fitch, Regional Director North East, CHP, said: “We are delighted to see the rapid impact of the Armley Community Diagnostic Centre, which has already delivered over 10,000 tests for local residents since its opening in September 2024.
“This fantastic uptake demonstrates the clear need for accessible diagnostic services closer to home, so patients don’t need to travel to a hospital for tests. This immediate impact is a testament to the centre’s value in delivering care effectively within the local neighbourhood.”
Carol Billbrough, Operations & Relationship Manager CHP, said: “I am always happy to visit Armley and see what once was an unused space, now transformed into a welcoming CDC. The CDC was established very quickly with patients seeing the benefit of having this service in their local community. The space is accessible, modern and is self-contained, making it a great space for patients who may not feel comfortable attending large city centre hospitals.”
The development of the new CDC is a success story, However, people not turning up to their appointments is also a challenge. For example, since April, almost 450 people have failed to attend their appointments at Armley – around 20% of all patients. NHS staff are encouraging people to ensure they attend once they book an appointment.
Andrew Fitzpatrick said: “Our figures show that around a fifth of patients are not turning up for the tests that have been booked for them. This has an impact on our waiting lists – it means that other patients who need these tests have to wait longer than they should.
“For those patients who are not attending, it also means that they are not receiving the care they need. We’d like to encourage all patients who have tests booked to attend their appointments.”
If patients need to rearrange their appointments, they can do so by calling the number on their appointment letter or text message reminder.
Jane Fitch said: “While the success in delivering so many tests is excellent, we are also echoing an important message from our NHS colleagues regarding missed appointments. Every missed appointment impacts on waiting lists, meaning that other patients inevitably wait longer. We urge all patients to either attend their allotted appointments or reschedule to a more suitable time.”