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Work begins on city centre Community Diagnostic Centre in UK-first collaboration between NHS and Coventry University
The Community Diagnostic Centre is a UK-first collaboration between NHS and Coventry University
University news / Student news / Research news / Business news
Thursday 20 November 2025
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Construction has begun on a new health hub in Coventry city centre, marking a major milestone that will see Coventry University become the first higher education institution co-located within an NHS Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
As part of this UK-first collaboration, the university will deliver teaching, clinical placements and research alongside University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, supporting efforts to improve access to life-saving tests and tackle health inequalities across the region.
A ground-breaking ceremony in November signalled the start of work on the multi-million-pound development, led by Tilbury Douglas. The project will transform the NHS Paybody Building at the City of Coventry Health Centre site into a state-of-the-art CDC with the aim of offering quicker, easier access to diagnostic services including MRI and CT scans, X-rays, ultrasound, and cardiac and respiratory tests. By enabling multiple tests in a single visit, it is hoped the facility will reduce waiting times and speed up treatment for conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
The centre is scheduled to open in late 2026 and is expected to see around 90,000 patients annually, aiming to deliver up to 75,000 additional tests each year.
The collaboration is set to give healthcare students hands-on NHS experience and enable researchers to work alongside clinicians to drive innovation in diagnostics and digital health, while strengthening Coventry University’s research in health technology and translational medicine.
Our role in the CDC is about creating opportunities that benefit both our students and our community. By combining education, research and innovation with frontline healthcare, we aim to improve patient outcomes and develop the future NHS workforce. This collaboration will help make access to vital tests easier for local people while giving students invaluable real-world experience.
Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University
The start of the development of the CDC is a major milestone for healthcare in Coventry, completely transforming the way local communities access tests and scans and receive diagnosis for a range of conditions. It will support communities across the city to live longer, happier lives. This activity forms part of our wider commitment to improving health inequalities and ensuring that everyone has easy access to the care they need. We're pleased to be working alongside Tilbury Douglas to deliver the CDC project and excited to see the positive difference this facility will make.
Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust
Discover more about the CDC here.
