Wembley Diagnostic Centre Boosts MRI Capacity by 26,000 Scans Annually
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust expands Wembley CDC, doubling MRI capacity to reduce waiting times for cancer and serious illness diagnostics.
By Priya Shah
••2 min read
AI
Generic image.
The Wembley Community Diagnostic Centre has undergone a significant expansion, enabling it to provide an additional 26,000 MRI scans each year for patients across north west London.
This expansion effectively doubles the centre’s previous MRI capacity, aiming to expedite diagnostic tests for cancer and other serious illnesses, thereby reducing patient waiting times. The two new MRI scanners became operational earlier this month following a six-month construction and installation period, funded by NHS England as part of a wider estates investment programme. The project involved extending the main CDC building to accommodate the new equipment.
The Wembley CDC, which opened in early 2024, offers CT and MRI scans seven days a week. With the expansion, it is now projected to perform nearly 70,000 scans annually. The centre has previously implemented cutting-edge remote scanning technology, allowing radiographers to operate MRI scanners remotely from 8pm to midnight, in addition to in-person scans from 8am to 8pm. This innovation is believed to be the first of its kind in the NHS and has been shown to improve equity, reaching 24 per cent more people from areas of higher deprivation and reducing missed appointments.
“
"I am delighted that our expanded MRI service is up and running. This means we’re able to offer more appointments to our patients with shorter waiting times. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this significant undertaking – the six months of building and installation works and the many months of planning before that."
“
"Community diagnostic centres are all about doing things differently and the Wembley team are a perfect example of this. When the centre first opened in 2024, we were able to offer around 30,000 tests a year. To extend that to almost 70,000 in under three years is extraordinary and will make a big difference to the local community in the coming months and over the years – and help reduce waiting times more widely in north west London. Thank you to the many people who’ve made this possible, including NHS England for funding the project and of course the team on the ground."
There are three CDCs in north west London, with Wembley and Willesden run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Ealing by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. These centres, located on existing NHS sites, focus on earlier diagnosis, improved patient experience, and reducing demand on acute hospital services.
