Seacroft Community Diagnostic Centre set for £20 million expansion
Posted by The Editor
The Community Diagnostic Centre at Seacroft Hospital is set for a major expansion, following £20 million of national funding to increase access to vital tests for patients across Leeds.
The project 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 January 2027 and services at the current Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will be maintained during construction.
Craige Richardson, deputy chief executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is fantastic news for patients in Leeds. Once complete, the extended centre will provide tens of thousands of extra diagnostic tests each year, helping patients get faster answers for conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease.
“This expansion will bring more care closer to home, particularly benefiting communities in Leeds where health needs are greatest.”
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 make services more accessible for local people, meaning they 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.
A planning application for the extension will be submitted shortly. Ahead of submission, members of the community are being invited to view and comment on the proposals. The public consultation website can be found at https://dpp1.co.uk/seacroft-hospital/
