Building upon the existing blood testing service, which relocates from St Margaret’s Hospital to the CDC on 16 November, the centre will introduce several new services. The blood testing service, managed by the Health Services Laboratories (HSL) phlebotomy team, will provide a modern setting with increased appointment availability, capable of serving approximately 230 patients daily. GP-referred patients can continue to book appointments via Swiftqueue. Blood testing remains available at other locations including the Harvey Centre in Harlow and Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford.
The new CDC extension will house additional services. Two X-ray rooms are scheduled to open from the week beginning 14 December, operating a walk-in service from 8am to 7:30pm on weekdays and 9am to 4:30pm on weekends. Patients referred by their GP will not require an appointment, while those referred by specialist outpatient clinics can attend during these hours. These X-ray services will transition from their current location within the St Margaret’s Hospital outpatients’ department.
A fourth ultrasound room will also become operational from the week beginning 14 December, offering consultant- and sonographer-led non-obstetric ultrasounds, including procedures like ultrasound-guided steroid injections. Appointments will be necessary for these services following referral by a GP or specialist.
FibroScan appointments, a non-invasive test for liver stiffness and fat levels, will commence from the week beginning 14 December. This test is used to assess conditions such as fatty liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and viral hepatitis. Transnasal endoscopy (TNE) appointments are expected to begin in early 2027. Both FibroScan and TNE services require an appointment following specialist referral.
A dedicated nurses’ station will support patients post-interventional diagnostic procedures, which are minimally invasive treatments guided by imaging. Pre-assessment clinics will also be held at the centre to evaluate patients' health before planned procedures. The haematuria one-stop clinic, for patients with blood in their urine, will continue to operate at weekends.
With the opening of these new services, an additional 350 patients are anticipated to use the CDC daily from 14 December, in addition to the blood testing activity. The centre will continue to offer self-check-in and digital wayfinding to assist patients, with parking arrangements at St Margaret’s Hospital remaining unchanged.
“"This major expansion at St Margaret’s CDC marks an important step forward in how we provide diagnostic care for our communities. By bringing together blood testing, X-ray, ultrasound and specialist diagnostics in one modern centre, we will give thousands more patients faster, easier access to the tests and treatment they need, closer to home. This is more than an increase in capacity. It is about creating a joined-up, efficient and welcoming service that supports earlier diagnosis, improves the patient experience and delivers more care in the right place."
Thom Lafferty, Chief Executive, stated that the expansion represents a significant advancement in delivering diagnostic care, emphasising the benefits of consolidating services for faster and more accessible patient treatment.
