Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) were introduced in 2021 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to tackle growing diagnostic backlogs and improve early detection of disease.
They offer convenient, one-stop access diagnostics such as imaging, helping to catch conditions like cancer and heart disease earlier while freeing up hospital capacity for acute care.

But with 170 CDCs opening in England within just three years, many Integrated Care Systems have struggled to procure the specialist expertise needed to plan, construct and equip them efficiently.

The team at Norfolk & Waveney Acute Hospital Collaborative had confirmed construction costs for new CDCs at three trusts -James Paget University Hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals -but needed to establish the total equipment costs, which they realised could pose a financial risk to the overall budget.

Engaging with key stakeholders, including clinicians and the Medical Devices Team, SBS’s team reviewed all the required equipment on both quantities and the correct level of specification. This process allowed SBS to provide accurate cost reports for all three projects which provided a saving against the original full business case. The team also included additional costs in their reporting as part of a review of the architect’s design data to ensure any omissions were identified. This allowed for robust reporting, including a contingency sum for completeness.

The Business Case review was so well received that it led to the appointment of NHS SBS’s capital projects team for the main procurement, equipping and on-site commissioning of the CDCs.

NHS SBS were able to help at short notice, and used relevant procurement frameworks when purchasing all the equipment as well as providing monthly reporting for finance and governance for cost control.

Whilst adhering to trust standards for certain items, the SBS team offered their expertise if needed –for example, they helped to redesign waiting areas to ensure that the required number of seats were met, and that the spaces were both attractive and functional.

The team also enhanced the quality of the large reporting rooms at the centres. For example, by using their product knowledge, they were able to improve soundproofing and enhance privacy for clinicians diagnosing patient scans.
NHS SBS procured, ordered and managed the on-site deliveries for all three schemes, totalling over 1800 items of equipment and furniture. This was all successfully managed as per each trust’s programme and allowed the project team to focus on construction and operational issues.

Thanks to the capital team’s attention to detail, product expertise and clinical engagement, all three CDCs were equipped to specification. They opened on time and to budget, typically saving 15 –20% on the equipment costs given in the full business case.

In addition to this, the centres at James Paget University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn were named “Best Healthcare Developments under £25m” at the 2025 Building Better Healthcare awards.

• Equipment programme for three CDCs running concurrently
• Equipment savings of c.20% against full business case
• Onsite presence for deliveries and installations
• All centres opened on time and to budget
• Award-winning developments