The North Bristol Community Diagnostic Centre at Cribbs Causeway is now fully open, bringing access for more people to be diagnosed sooner.

The centre, next to Asda, offers a range of radiology, endoscopy and health screening services in a convenient location.

It is run as a partnership between North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and independent healthcare provider InHealth and is their biggest Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), and one of the largest in the country.

An official opening event was held at the centre today (Thursday, 14 November) to mark the occasion, bringing together partners and staff to celebrate.

CDCs were introduced to bring more diagnostic tests in locations within the community, making it easier for people to access to tests near where they live, work and shop.

Diagnostic tests were first offered at the North Bristol CDC next door to the building in mobile units in the car park from April this year, with most services being offered in the permanent centre since September. Endoscopy has now moved into the centre completing the transition.

Since April 11,000 people have benefited from tests at the Cribbs Causeway site.

The expectation is that the CDC will offer up to 40,000 diagnostic tests in 2024/25.

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) Joint Chief Executive, Maria Kane, led proceedings for the opening.

She said: “North Bristol Community Diagnostic Centre is a fantastic facility that is really improving access to scans and diagnostic tests for our local population.

“We have received great feedback from patients who have already benefited from the ease and convenience of the centre and its impact on waiting times.

“We are proud to be working in partnership with InHealth to deliver outstanding patient care, enabling people to access the tests they need sooner so that they can either start the treatment they require or be reassured that no further care is required.

“Thank you and well done to everyone who has been involved in setting up and delivering this service.”

Geoff Searle, Chief Executive of InHealth, said: “We’re delighted to have marked the official opening of North Bristol CDC today – this is one of more than 20 InHealth CDCs that InHealth has created in partnership with the NHS – the largest that we have created so far – and we’re proud to have worked in partnership with NBT to provide key clinical services to the local population through this new centre.

“Across our nationwide network of CDCs, we’ve seen the real difference and positive impact that centres like these can bring for patients, focussed on improving health outcomes, so it’s fantastic to be doing that here in Bristol. It really epitomises the essence of what CDCs are all about – taking high quality healthcare services and putting them in the heart of communities, supporting health inequalities and giving local people much easier access outside of hospital settings.”