Early Christmas present arrives at Walton Hospital
Five new modular building blocks for a £7.5m extension to Walton Hospital's Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) arrived by special delivery earlier this week.
The extension is due to be ready in Spring 2026 to provide dedicated space for static MRI and CT scanners within the main diagnostic centre, along with a new waiting room, toilets, changing rooms, a recovery room and a cannulation room.
Bringing MRI and CT scanning into the main building will enable more complex scans to be undertaken as well as increasing accessibility for patients whose only currently access to these types of scans on site is in mobile scanner vans parked just outside the diagnostic building, which have step access.
This expansion is a collaborative project between Chesterfield Royal Hospital and Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trusts and follows the opening of the original £5.2m diagnostic centre in September 2025.
The additional investment will provide a further boost to local diagnostic services and make it easier for patients to get the scans they need closer to home.
Walton Hospital’s community diagnostic centre (CDC) is one of five CDCs in Derby and Derbyshire. It opened its doors for the first time on 1 September 2025 to offer a range of diagnostic services including phlebotomy (blood tests), ultrasound, mobile CT scanning, x-ray, Point of Care* testing, audiology and cardio-respiratory testing, diagnosing conditions such as cancer, heart disease and respiratory issues.
Community diagnostic centres are designed as one-stop shops, enabling patients to undergo multiple diagnostic tests under one roof, reducing the need to travel and minimising the need for multiple appointments. By delivering faster, more convenient appointments, CDCs are transforming how and where people access vital health tests, scans and checks; reducing waiting times, easing pressure on acute hospital services and supporting a key ambition of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to move more care from hospitals to the community.