Have your say on new £27.5m Community Diagnostic Centre for Luton
People are being invited to have a say on a new £27.5m community diagnostic centre to be built in Luton.
The project, announced in June, will benefit patient care and contribute to tackling local health inequalities.
The CDC facility, to be located on the University of Bedfordshire site, will offer modern healthcare facilities for Endoscopy, CT scanning and bone density scanning (Dexa). The opening is planned for early 2026.
The CDC will facilitate earlier diagnoses, improved long-term condition management, and better care coordination, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and reducing health inequalities.
Serving Luton and parts of south Bedfordshire, the centre is “a vital initiative to meet the growing health needs of the BLMK region,” according to a report to the borough council’s scrutiny health and social care review group.
With its 985,000 population projected to increase by 17 per cent, during the next 15 years, the region faces significant healthcare challenges because of varying levels of deprivation and health outcomes, warned the report.
The University of Bedfordshire site in the town was selected for its central location, good accessibility and opportunities for future expansion of the centre.
All clinically trained staff working in the centre when it opens will be employed by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and would have been seen by patients in a hospital setting previously.
A business case has been approved, and a future phase two for the centre could be rapidly progressed, subject to a capital funding opportunity.
A public engagement session is being held from 4pm to 5pm on Monday, November 17, with members of the public invited to find out more and ask Trust representatives questions about the project.
Email [email protected] for the Microsoft Teams link to join. Those who cannot make the meeting are invited to email questions to bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk