Demolition work officially breaks ground on new £5 million Community Diagnostic Centre at Congleton War Memorial Hospital

Demolition work has commenced to make way for a new £5 million Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Congleton War Memorial Hospital.

Works began in November on existing buildings at the Cheshire site, as the next step towards creating a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a range of diagnostic tests and services closer to home for residents of Congleton and surrounding areas.

Funded by NHS England’s community diagnostics programme, the new centre will deliver various diagnostic services including imaging; X-ray and Non-Obstetric Ultrasound (NOUS); and Cardio-Respiratory physiological testing such as Electrocardiography (ECG), Echocardiograms and other physiological tests.

Patients are already benefiting from a new ophthalmology service that opened at the hospital in July as part of the CDC development.

The hospital, managed by East Cheshire NHS Trust, celebrated 100 years of service in 2024, after originally opening in 1924 as memorial to the local people who were killed in the First World War. The development of the new CDC at this historic site will ensure that the hospital remains a pivotal part of the community for generations to come.

Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities at East Cheshire NHS Trust, Robert Few, said: “We are thrilled to see the commencement of demolition work for the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Congleton War Memorial Hospital.

“The project represents a significant investment in our local healthcare infrastructure, and we are committed to delivering a state-of-the-art facility that will greatly benefit our community by enhancing diagnostic capabilities, reducing waiting times, and improving patient outcomes.

“We are working to limit the impact that the development works will have on people using the hospital and the site’s surrounding area and would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that is caused.”

Community Diagnostic Centres offer easier, faster, and more direct access to a range of diagnostic tests and scans once a patient is referred by their GP.

Congleton’s CDC is on track to be completed by summer 2025 and is part of a national programme, with an existing 118 CDCs already operating in local communities across the country.

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Notes for editors

• For further information about East Cheshire NHS Trust, contact the Trust press office on 01625 663935.
• East Cheshire NHS Trust is the main provider of acute and community health services for people across East Cheshire. The Trust is based at Macclesfield District General Hospital, and also manages Congleton War Memorial Hospital and Knutsford and District Community Hospital.
• Follow East Cheshire NHS Trust on Twitter for all the latest news: @EastCheshireNHS
• East Cheshire NHS Charity goes above and beyond standard Government funding to make your local NHS that extra special. From supporting staff health and wellbeing to providing toys to brighten up our young patients’ days to making long stay patients feel more at home – our mission is to make a visible difference. You can make a donation to the charity on JustGiving here.