Plans have been unveiled for a multi-million pound expansion of Seacroft’s Community Diagnostic Centre, backed by £20 million in government funding aimed at widening access to diagnostic testing for people across the city.
New facilities will include two MRI machines, a bigger phlebotomy service and more treatment rooms, at a site run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Building work begins in early 2027, with the upgraded centre expected to welcome patients from spring or summer 2028; the existing service keeps running as normal throughout construction.
Craige Richardson, Director of Estates and Facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is a great step forward as we aim to provide tens of thousands of extra diagnostic tests each year for patients in Leeds. The extended centre will help patients get faster treatment for conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease. It will also bring care closer to patients’ homes, making tests more accessible for local people.”
Opened at Seacroft Hospital in 2024, the centre currently provides blood tests, blood pressure checks, sleep studies, self-request chest X-rays, ultrasounds, X-rays, electrocardiograms and echocardiograms. It’s one of three diagnostic centres serving Leeds, alongside sites at Armley and Beeston, all intended to keep routine testing away from the city’s main hospitals, freeing up capacity there and helping cut waiting times. GPs and hospital teams referring patients for tests can pick whichever site suits the individual best.
