The Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust (PAHT) has submitted an application for a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) to Epping Forest District Council.

The application follows a public consultation held in January and would see the CDC built at St Margaret’s Hospital as part of plans to support quicker and more-local access to diagnostic tests near patients’ homes.

Planned to be open from the summer of 2025, there will be extended opening times and additional equipment at the St Margaret’s Hospital CDC, including:

• Two additional computerised tomography (CT) scanners
• Extended hours for X-rays
• New ultrasound equipment
• New cardiology equipment
• New respiratory equipment
• Relocated MRI scanner
• More phlebotomists to be recruited – increasing the number of blood tests that can be carried out

Additionally, as part of the CDC programme, the services provided at Bishop’s Stortford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, will include extended hours for cardiology, ultrasound, and X-ray.

Extended hours for non-obstetric ultrasound have already begun to be provided, with additional hours to be available this year. There will also be additional hours for X-ray.

Michael Meredith, director of strategy and estates at PAHT, said: “We are pleased to have reached this significant milestone by submitting our planning application for the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping.

“This is a significant investment in local services that will mean quicker and more local access to diagnostic tests for our patients.”