More than 10,000 tests have been carried out for patients at the Armley Moor Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Leeds, since it opened in September 2024.
The CDC at Armley Moor Health Centre in Leeds is a significant development in enhancing local healthcare access, with CHP playing a pivotal role in its establishment. CHP is the head tenant at Armley Moor Health Centre, with the building owned by Community Ventures Leeds (CVL), a Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) company. The Armley Moor CDC, operated by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, offers tests including ultrasounds, echocardiograms (ECG), blood tests, blood pressure checks, sleep studies and spirometry (lung function) testing.
Since the Armley Moor CDC opened on 23 September 2024, over 3,800 blood tests have taken place, along with over 3,700 cardio-respiratory tests, and over 3,300 ultrasounds.
This new CDC means local people don’t have to travel to the city’s larger hospitals for these tests. However, hundreds of patients are missing their appointments – and NHS staff are encouraging them to ensure they attend.
Since April 2025, almost 450 people have failed to attend their appointments at Armley – around 20% of all patients.
About Armley Moor CDC
The remodel project cost £470k, with £250k from the National CDC programme and £220k from Community Health Partnerships capital funding was used to transform an underused space in the Health Centre. The reconfiguration work took only ten weeks, finishing on time and on budget.
The CDC at Armley is one of three CDCs in Leeds, with Seacroft Hospital (hub) and Beeston (spoke) bringing care closer to patients’ homes (Leeds Community Diagnostic Centres).
Armley Moor CDC is one of 10 CDCs across the CHP estate portfolio.
Read: How CHP have successfully supported the national Community Diagnostic Centres Programme
It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to carry out so many tests at this new Community Diagnostic Centre – this means patients don’t have to travel to one of the larger hospitals and can be seen in their local neighbourhoods. Our figures also show that around a fifth of patients are not turning up for the tests that have been booked for them. This has an impact on our waiting lists – it means that other patients who need these tests have to wait longer than they should. For those patients who are not attending, it also means that they are not receiving the care they need. We’d like to encourage all patients who have tests booked to attend their appointments.
Partnership working
The CHP team worked with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (www.leedsth.nhs.uk), and West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board staff to adapt the health centre for the services, alongside colleagues from Community Ventures Leeds (LIFTCo), Se, OCS FM (FM provider), and Airflow, the building contractor. This collaborative approach ensures the efficient use of NHS resources and delivers the best possible outcomes for patients.
“We are delighted to see the rapid impact of the Armley Community Diagnostic Centre, which has already delivered over 10,000 tests for local residents since its opening in September 2024.
This fantastic uptake demonstrates the clear need for accessible diagnostic services closer to home, so patients don’t need to travel to a hospital for tests. This immediate impact is a testament to the centre's value in delivering care effectively within the local neighbourhood.
While the success in delivering so many tests is excellent, we are also echoing an important message from our NHS colleagues regarding missed appointments. Every missed appointment impacts on waiting lists, meaning that other patients inevitably wait longer. We urge all patients to either attend their allotted appointments or reschedule to a more suitable time.
I am always happy to visit Armley and see what once was an unused space, now transformed into a welcoming CDC. The CDC was established very quickly, with patients seeing the benefit of having this service in their local community. The space is accessible, modern and self-contained, making it a great space for patients who may not feel comfortable attending large city centre hospitals
Community Diagnostic Centres are a key part of the plan to make the NHS fit for the future, so we’re delighted that it’s already having such an impact on providing diagnostic tests for people in the local community. The LIFT estate was designed to deliver flexible buildings that can adapt to meet population health needs, so it’s great to see this in action at Armley Moor.
The Armley Moor CDC exemplifies CHP’s commitment to enhancing diagnostic capacity and supporting care in local neighbourhoods. Community Health Partnerships is proud to play a key role in the Armley Moor CDC, bringing services closer to where people live, contributing to earlier diagnoses, and improved health outcomes for residents in Leeds.
CHP’s multi-use buildings bring together a range of services, including GP practices, clinical teams, community health providers, mental health trusts, and pharmacies. This co-location encourages different partners from across the NHS, local government, and the voluntary sector to work together. By doing so, they can deliver care through multi-disciplinary neighbourhood teams, a key part of the Neighbourhood Health Service model highlighted in the 10-year plan.
About Armley Moor Health Centre
Armley Moor Health Centre is a modern three-storey 3900m2 building completed in October 2005 under the LIFT scheme offers a wide range of services to the local community. The building is owned by Community Ventures Leeds (LIFTCo) and CHP is the Head tenant.
The GP team from Armley Medical Practice are based in the health centre, and there is an adjacent Pharmacy. NHS services include Children’s Audiology, Dietetics, Podiatry, Musculoskeletal, and Physiotherapy clinics run by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. Various community groups use the facilities and outside space at Armley Moor Health Centre.
Also, there is a Children’s Centre run by Leeds City Council, with Children and Young People’s Mental Health services provided by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. The Community Diagnostic Centre has added further diagnostic services to a well-used, modern health centre providing care closer to home in a local neighbourhood.
Armley Moor Health Centre has good transport links including bus services to and from the city centre. There is a free carpark with 4 accessible parking bays.
AccessAble Guide: Armley Moor Health Centre
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Get in touch with your CHP Regional Director and regional Property and Operations team to find out how they can support diagnostic services at CHP buildings providing high-quality, modern, core NHS facilities for patients in their local communities.
