Patient waiting times for vital tests are set to be cut with the arrival of a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).

It is planned to be based in Broadstairs and will be fitted with state-of-the-art equipment to deliver CT, MRI, non-obstetric and ultrasound scans.

The Thanet site is set to open by December, with all facilities operational by next July, when it will be able to deliver up to 15,000 checks, tests and scans a year.

An exact location has not yet been revealed.

Faversham and Mid-Kent MP Helen Whately (Con) says the new centre will lead to more early diagnoses for patients.

“Having a Community Diagnostic Centre in Thanet is great news for east Kent,” said the Minister of State for Social Care.

“It’ll mean faster checks and scans for thousands of people, including Faversham residents.

“I know from my time as a health minister just how important early diagnoses are. Catching things like cancer early saves lives.

“These CDCs are just one example of how we’re shifting care away from hospital and closer to people’s homes - not only is that better for patients, it’s so much better for our health service too.”

The site, which will also feature echo-cardiology and physiological sciences tests, is one of 160 CDC to be opened across England by March 2024.

The programme to open such sites constitutes the largest central cash investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in the history of the NHS.

It has already delivered more than five million additional tests, checks and scans across the country.

The new centres will provide capacity for nine million more by 2025 as part of the NHS and Government’s plan to recover services following the pandemic.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay added: “Patients deserve the highest quality care, and community diagnostic centres have been instrumental in speeding up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease to ensure patients are treated more quickly.

“I’m delighted we will open 160 CDCs a year early, allowing greater access to high-tech scans and diagnostics in communities across the England.”