Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, we have some ideas to change how we deliver diagnostic services (tests to work out what is causing a person’s illness or symptoms), by creating Community Diagnostic Hubs (CDHs). At the moment, most of these tests are done in hospitals, but it is now recommended that NHS organisations across England move to providing these in Community Diagnostic Hubs. This will allow patients to get the tests they need nearer to home.

This briefing sets out our plans to introduce CDHs across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. We believe this will give patients across the county access to diagnostic services such as blood tests, scans, x-rays and imaging more quickly and nearer to home. The services provided at these Hubs would be elective (planned), so would not change how people access diagnostic services if urgent or emergency care is needed. Elective or planned services could include referrals from your GP for blood tests, x-rays or scans to investigate health complaints and concerns.

Our plans are at a very early stage, so we are keen to hear from you to help shape how these services could look. We want to understand how people currently access these services, what you think about our plans, and what else you would like to see provided in Community Diagnostic Hubs. The answers you give will be important in shaping our plans and the services we provide in the future.