A £237m NHS boost will bring Gorton a new diagnostic centre in a bid to slash waiting times
The new center in Gorton will offer ultrasound and ophthalmology services(Image: Getty Images)
A new community health centre in Gorton is set to bring faster tests and scans closer to home, as part of a major push to slash NHS waiting lists and late diagnoses.
Wes Streeting said the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) would meet a ‘real need’ in the area.
The Health Secretary said the Gorton facility is backed by £1.93 million in investment and will include new ultrasound and ophthalmology services, helping patients to avoid long hospital waits and travel across Greater Manchester for routine checks.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Mr Streeting said: “After less than a few years of Labour being in, we’re seeing the NHS finally on the road to recovery.
“Waiting lists are falling. Ambulances are arriving faster. People are finding it easier to see a GP. Lots done, so much more to do – and part of that is we have got more neighborhood health services.
“We know in Gordon that there is a real need for this kind of service. The local council has being campaigning hard for this. Former MP Andrew Gwynne campaign hard for this in Gorton too.
“We are really pleased that the community diagnostics centre is up and running with £1.93m worth of investment and …it’s part of how we’re cutting waiting lists at the local trusts.”
The investment comes amid longstanding concerns about healthcare access in Gorton, where high levels of deprivation are linked to poorer health outcomes. Access to timely diagnosis and treatment has been a recurring issue raised by residents, particularly during the recent Gorton and Denton by-election campaign after Mr Gwynne stepped down as MP.
Efforts to improve services locally have already included the development of integrated care through the Gorton Hub, which aims to bring together health, social care and mental health support under one roof.
The new diagnostic centre is expected to build on that approach, offering more convenient, community-based care and reducing reliance on overstretched hospital services. It forms part of a £237 million government programme to expand diagnostic services across England.
Mark Cubbon, Trust Chief Executive, said: “Today’s announcement is an important step in expanding diagnostic services for the diverse communities we serve.
“The new Gorton CDC will play a key part in our strategy to support delivery of the NHS 10 Year Plan, with its ambition to provide more care in community settings and to give patients faster access to the tests they need, closer to home. I would like to thank all the teams involved for their hard work and commitment in bringing these developments forward.”
Mr Streeting said the new CDCs are ‘part of the biggest expansion in NHS diagnostics in a generation’.
Across the country, 36 CDCs will either open or be upgraded, with the aim of increasing capacity for tests such as MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds. Health leaders say the move will help detect illnesses earlier and reduce pressure on hospitals.
Mr Streeting added that earlier diagnosis should not depend on chance, referencing his own experience with cancer.
“I was one of the lucky ones – my kidney cancer was caught early, and today I’m living cancer-free. But it shouldn’t be a question of luck,” he said. “The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it, catching illness earlier so we can treat it faster.”
NHS England carried out a record 29 million diagnostic tests in 2025, with ministers arguing that continued investment in CDCs will accelerate its progress in reducing waiting times.
Professor Stella Vig, NHS England’s national clinical director for elective care, said expanding the network would make it ‘easier to access care’ and allow more patients to receive health checks closer to home.
