The project is being supported with £20 million of national funding to increase access to vital tests for patients across Leeds.
The expansion will deliver new facilities including two MRI scanners, expanded phlebotomy services, and additional treatment rooms at the centre, which is run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Construction is due to begin in early 2027 with the upgraded centre opening to patients in spring/summer 2028. Services at the current Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will be maintained during construction.
Craige Richardson, Director of Estates and Facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is a great step forward as we aim to provide tens of thousands of extra diagnostic tests each year for patients in Leeds.
“The extended centre will help patients get faster treatment for conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease. It will also bring care closer to patients’ homes, making tests more accessible for local people.”
The CDC, which originally opened in 2024 at Seacroft Hospital, currently offers a range of tests including blood tests, blood pressure checks, sleep studies, self-request chest X-rays, ultrasounds, X-rays, electrocardiograms and echocardiograms.
It is one of three CDCs in Leeds, joining Armley and Beeston in bringing care closer to patients’ homes.
The new centres mean people don’t have to travel into the city’s larger hospitals for these tests. This relieves pressure on major hospital sites, and helps reduce waiting times, meaning people can get health conditions diagnosed and treated more quickly.
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 planning application can be viewed on Leeds City Council’s planning portal at www.leeds.gov.uk/planning/planning-permission/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications