Bringing Healthcare Closer to Home in Blackpool’s Community Diagnostic Centre

People in Blackpool can now get vital health checks at times that fit around their lives. Thanks to the government expanding services at 100 of these centres across the country, Whitegate Drive Community Diagnostic Centre is opening later in the evenings and at weekends, meaning you can book a scan, a blood test or other checks without having to take time off work or miss important family responsibilities.

Community Diagnostic Centres take pressure off hospitals. Instead of waiting weeks for a hospital slot, you can walk into a centre in your community and get tests like X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, heart checks and blood work.

These centres deliver tests across the country and now their services are expanding – helping people get answers quicker and cutting waiting lists.

In Blackpool, where we have some of the worst health outcomes, too many people wait too long for the tests they need. That can mean living with pain or worry while you wait. For serious illnesses like cancer or lung disease, every day counts. Faster tests mean faster treatment and better outcomes.

Opening Whitegate Drive CDC into the evenings and at weekends is a common sense step. You can now get an appointment when it suits you. That means less stress, less waiting and more people seen sooner.

Whitegate Drive is already a lifeline for our town. It’s right near my house and we’ve used it so often as a family. Now it’s going further. With longer hours, more people will get the tests they need without delay. This will ease pressure on the Vic and make sure local people get answers quickly.

We know the NHS is under real pressure. People in Blackpool feel it every day. Expanding services like this shows what can be done to improve care right now.

This is a win for the NHS and a win for our community. It proves that when investment goes where it’s needed, people here benefit directly.