Community Diagnostic Centres

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Diagnostics in the Community

Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are transforming the delivery of diagnostic care by bringing essential services closer to patients’ homes. Designed to ease pressure on acute hospitals, these centres offer dedicated spaces for planned diagnostics, supporting faster diagnoses and better patient outcomes.

We design and deliver bespoke modular CDCs tailored to the specific needs of each healthcare provider. Whether focused solely on diagnostic imaging or integrated with other clinical services, our modular approach offers maximum flexibility and efficiency. Each CDC can include a tailored mix of MRI, CT, X-ray, endoscopy, and non-imaging diagnostics, seamlessly integrated to support a wide range of diagnostic pathways.

ModuleCo Modular MRI Integrated Imaging Facility Community Diagnostic Centre at Furness General Hospital Scanner Room Image

Modular CDC Projects

Barking Community Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre

ModuleCo delivered a turnkey Community Diagnostic Centre for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust at Barking Community Hospital. This was one of the first of forty new community diagnostic facilities pledged by the government to support the NHS.

Project Story
Modular Community Diagnostic Centre at Barking NHS Hospital External Image 1a
ModuleCo Modular Community Diagnostic Centre at Furness General Hospital External Image

Furness General Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre

ModuleCo delivered a focused diagnostic imaging centre to Furness General Hospital, featuring an MRI scanning room supported by a control room, MRI preparation room, sub-waiting area, consultation rooms, and staff accommodation, creating a fully standalone facility.

“The idea of CDCs started about four years ago and it’s a pleasure to be here for the opening. It is a fantastic centre, it feels spacious and it’s really going to help us get the time to diagnosis reduced, back to where it should be.”

Professor Sir Mike Richards, the pioneer of CDCs, remarking at the opening of Barking Community Hospital’s modular community diagnostic centre

Integrated Community Diagnostic Centre Design and Build

ModuleCo’s Integrated Diagnostic Centre (IDC) is a fully equipped, multi-modality facility designed to deliver a comprehensive range of diagnostic services in one location. This purpose-built centre improves patient access to pre-planned diagnostics while easing pressure on acute hospitals.

The IDC can include dedicated MRI and CT scanner rooms, each with its own control room and a shared preparation and cannulation area, alongside an X-ray suite and multiple specialist diagnostic assessment rooms. It can also accommodate services such as respiratory testing, phlebotomy, ECG and ambulatory monitoring, DEXA scanning, echocardiography, and ultrasound. A fully equipped laboratory further enhances the centre’s capabilities by enabling efficient on-site analysis.

Patient flow is carefully managed to optimise efficiency and reduce waiting times. A split waiting area separates incoming and outgoing patients, while a quiet room provides a calm space for reflection or prayer. Patients accessing diagnostic rooms follow a straightforward route, with those requiring MRI and CT benefiting from a dedicated pathway and sub-waiting area to ensure a smooth and coordinated experience.

All diagnostic and patient-facing accommodation is situated on the ground floor, spanning approximately 1,000 m², with essential mechanical and electrical plant housed in plant rooms and decks on the first floor.

Focused Community Imaging Centre Design and Build

The Focused Imaging Centre (FIC) is designed to provide high-quality, specialist imaging services in a streamlined, patient-friendly environment. Ideal for locations requiring additional MRI-led or CT-led diagnostic capacity, this facility delivers precise imaging within a carefully optimised footprint.

At the heart of the FIC is a dedicated MRI suite, supported by a control room, prep and cannulation area, and consultation spaces. A comfortable waiting area ensures a smooth patient experience, while staff accommodation includes rest areas, administration offices, and changing facilities to support a well-organised clinical workflow.

The layout prioritises patient flow and operational efficiency, enabling seamless movement from arrival through assessment, with clearly defined routes that enhance both patient experience and clinical productivity. The FIC can be delivered as a standalone facility or as an extension to an existing estate, offering a scalable solution to meet local imaging demands.

As with all ModuleCo facilities, the FIC is constructed using our advanced off site methodology, significantly reducing programme times while delivering a high-quality, sustainable, and efficient healthcare environment.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)?

    A Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is a dedicated facility that delivers pre-planned diagnostic services outside of acute hospital settings. Designed to reduce hospital pressures and improve access, CDCs bring essential diagnostics (e.g. MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy, and non-imaging test) closer to patients’ homes. ModuleCo designs modular CDCs to suit local demand, enabling faster diagnoses, and better patient outcomes.

    What is the difference between a Focused Imaging Centre and an Integrated Diagnostic Centre?

    A Focused Imaging Centre (FIC) is purpose-built for high-quality, MRI- or CT-led diagnostics with a streamlined footprint and optimised workflow. An Integrated Diagnostic Centre (IDC), by contrast, offers a multi-modality approach with a full range of imaging and non-imaging diagnostics, including respiratory testing, ECG, DEXA scanning, and phlebotomy, all housed within a single, larger modular facility

    How quickly can a modular CDC be built?

    Thanks to our advanced off-site construction methodology, Community Diagnostic Centres can be delivered significantly faster than traditional builds. Much of the construction is completed in a controlled factory environment, reducing on-site disruption and shortening overall programme times, while maintaining a high-quality, sustainable, patient-focused healthcare environment.

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