New Community Diagnostic Centre hub improves access to care

A new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has opened at Armley Moor Health Centre in Leeds providing ultrasound, ECG, blood tests, blood pressure and other diagnostic services for patients. This marks a significant development in expanding access to vital diagnostic services for the local community reducing the need to travel to acute hospitals, reducing waiting times, and enabling care closer to home in local neighbourhoods. Armley Moor CDC is one of three new CDCs in Leeds, with services provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (www.leedsth.nhs.uk).  There is a hub CDC at Seacroft and another CDC spoke at Beeston (Leeds Community Diagnostic Centres).

The project cost £470k, with £250k from the National CDC programme and £220k from Community Health Partnerships capital funding. The reconfiguration work took only ten weeks, finishing on time and on budget in mid-September 2024. Services for patients began soon afterwards.

Community Health Partnerships is the head tenant at Armley Moor Health Centre with the building owned by Community Ventures Leeds (CVL), a LIFT Company.  Armley Moor CDC is one of 10 CDCs across the CHP estates portfolio.

The Community Ventures team delivers projects on behalf of the LiftCo Community Ventures Leeds.

About Armley Moor Community Diagnostic Centre

Armley Moor CDC is part of a ‘hub and spoke model’ for a Community Diagnostic Centre with the hub at the Seacroft Hospital site and another spoke at Beeston Village supporting patients in their local community.

The facility offers a high-quality environment for a range of specialist diagnostic services, including:

  • Ultrasound
  • ECG (electrocardiogram)
  • Phlebotomy (blood test)
  • Blood pressure monitoring
  • Point-of-care testing – for faster results for urine and blood dip tests

The new CDC location covers 320m2 on the second floor in a previously unused area.

Previously, residents would have had to travel to Leeds General Infirmary 2.5 miles away and St James’s University Hospital a further 4.5 miles across the city centre for these diagnostic services. The new CDC eliminates this travel making essential healthcare more accessible.

LIFT buildings are modern, well-maintained facilities that can be adapted and repurposed as Neighbourhood Hubs, enabling more primary and community care, or providing additional diagnostic capacity in the community.  LIFT buildings, as core NHS assets, are key enablers in supporting the shift of health services into community settings and enabling more place-based care.

Benefits for Patients and NHS staff at the Armley Moor CDC

The Armley Moor CDC offers a range benefits including:

  • Faster and More Accurate Diagnosis: Earlier detection of health conditions leads to improved patient outcomes and better overall health.
  • An Improved Patient Experience: Convenient access to a wider range of services in a modern accessible facility enhances the experience for patients.
  • Reduced Pressure on Acute Hospitals: Streamlining diagnostic services frees up resources within hospitals for critical care.
  • Reduced Health Inequalities: By offering equal access to diagnostic services in the community, the CDC helps to address health inequalities.

The CDC also fosters better collaboration between primary, community, and secondary care providers, leading to a more holistic approach to patient care. There are also benefits for NHS workforce working in modern, fit for purpose, core NHS facility in the heart of the local neighbourhood.

Jane Fitch, Regional Director North East, Community Health Partnerships, said:

“The Armley Moor CDC is a fantastic example of what can be achieved at pace within our local communities. In this jointly funded project, all stakeholders agreed a combined vision and worked hard worked together to deliver the project ahead of schedule and within the agreed cost envelope. The CDC allows Leeds patients to access planned diagnostic care nearer home and without the need to attend acute hospital sites. The services provided are separate to urgent diagnostic facilities, which means shorter waiting times and a reduced risk of cancellations which can happen when more urgent cases inevitably take priority.”

John Watson, General Manager, Community Ventures Leeds, said:

“We were delighted that Armley Moor was chosen as the location for the CDC. The LIFT estate was designed to support better patient outcomes, make services more accessible for those in greatest need, and provide modern, purpose-built environments for staff. The development will provide crucial additional diagnostic capacity and we are extremely proud of our role in project managing this transformation.”

About Armley Moor Health Centre

Armley Moor Health Centre is a modern three-storey 3900 square metre building completed in October 2005 under the LIFT scheme offers a wide range of services to the local community.  The building is owned by Community Ventures Leeds (LIFTCo) and CHP is the Head tenant.

The GP team from Armley Medical Practice are based in the health centre and there is an adjacent Pharmacy. NHS services include Audiology, Dietetics, Podiatry, Musculoskeletal, and Physiotherapy clinics run by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. Various community groups use the facilities and outside space at Armley Moor Health Centre.

Also, there is a Children’s Centre run by Leeds City Council with Children and Young People’s Mental Health services provided by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust.  The Community Diagnostic Centre add further diagnostic services to a well-used, modern health centre providing care closer to home in the local neighbourhood.