Wakefield Community Diagnostic Centre

Wakefield Community Diagnostic Centre, based at Westgate Retail Park, will be a convenient way for patients to get the healthcare tests they need.

One of 40 new diagnostic centres across the country, the facility will provide planned outpatient tests including: x-rays, ultrasounds, CT, MRI and bone-density scans, as well as bloods, cardio-respiratory tests and some ophthalmology (eye) tests. Tests and scans for emergency and in-patients will continue to be provided at hospital.

Westgate Retail Park was chosen as a central location, just five-minutes’ walk from the city centre, easily accessible by public transport and with free car parking, to make journeys easy for the people who will use it. 

Rather than travelling to hospital, patients will be able to undergo tests for a range of conditions in the heart of their local community. This will make services more accessible and convenient for patients and carers, whilst increasing the number of tests we can carry out. It is an exciting step forward in our work with GPs and other health and care partners to reduce the time it takes for patients to get a diagnosis and start receiving treatment.

Besides its contribution to the health of our communities, the centre will create up to 50 new jobs in Wakefield, and support training into qualified, professional roles. 

Community Diagnostic Centres are one of the recommendations from Professor Sir Mike Richards, the first NHS national cancer director, who conducted a review of diagnostic services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, published in 2019.  

Progress photos