MP visits site of record-breaking Community Diagnostic Centre at Withington Community Hospital

Jeff Smith MP visited Withington Community Hospital to see firsthand the progress on creating a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) – the largest development on the site since it opened 20 years ago.  

The CDC is expected to start seeing patients in June 2026, with the state-of-the-art centre open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, providing more than 85,000 additional diagnostic tests each year to patients from across Manchester and Trafford.   

Mr Smith was welcomed to the site by Kathy Cowell OBE DL, Chair at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and Paul Virdi, Project Manager from BAM, the contractor delivering the purpose-built centre.   

Mr Smith saw the significant progress that has been made since construction began in March, toured the future clinical areas, and heard how the centre will enable patients to start cancer care and treatment for other conditions earlier, by improving their access to a range of checks, scans and tests. Among the tests being offered are much-needed Sleep Studies and Non-Obstetric Ultrasound services, as well as cardiology and respiratory tests.    

Kathy Cowell, Chair of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which runs Withington Community Hospital, said:   

“We have just celebrated the 20th anniversary of Withington Community Hospital, so it was excellent to be able to show Mr Smith the progress on this development, the largest in the history of the site, which will bring so many benefits to our patients. Our dedicated teams will be able to use state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that patients can get a diagnosis and, if they need it, start their treatment as soon as possible. Prevention of disease is a key aim of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, and quick diagnosis lies at the heart of that.”  

Mr Jeff Smith, Labour MP for Withington said:  

‘’As Withington Community Hospital marks two decades of service to our community, it is fantastic to see such a major investment taking shape. I was very impressed at how work is progressing and excited to hear of the extra services which will shortly be available to patients. The CDC will ensure that residents of Withington and the surrounding areas can access vital tests and care closer to home, bringing real benefits to our community.’’  

Paul Virdi, BAM Project Manager delivering the Community Diagnostic Centre at Withington Community Hospital, said:  

“We’re delighted to be delivering the brand-new Community Diagnostic Centre at Withington Community Hospital. With our extensive experience supporting NHS trusts across the region, BAM is proud to deliver this facility that will enhance accessibility and reduce treatment times for communities across Manchester and Trafford”.