‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul’
Community Diagnostic Centres, introduced at a cost of £2.3 billion two-and-a-half years ago, aim to revolutionise non-emergency testing, making it more accessible and reducing waiting lists. However, today’s report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Diagnostics reveals that only 6.5% of NHS England tests were conducted in CDCs in September 2023, falling significantly short of the target of 17 million tests by March 2025. Challenges include a shortage of qualified staff and inadequate workforce planning and funding.
Dr Katharine Halliday, President of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: 'Expanding the number of CDCs without a proportional increase in staff is akin to robbing Peter to pay Paul.'
While successful CDCs exist, the report emphasises the need for urgent improvements to meet the growing demand for diagnostic tests and scans.
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