The state-of-the-art facility – built by Morgan Sindall - is set to deliver more than 75,000 additional diagnostic appointments every year, significantly reducing waiting times and supporting faster diagnosis for patients across the area.

James Curell, acting divisional director for clinical and support services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘It's been exciting to welcome our first patients,  community diagnostic centres like this are set to make a big difference. By bringing care into our communities, we're taking pressure off our hospitals and offering patients a faster, more convenient experience.'

The phased opening of the facility, which is designed to ease pressure on acute services such as Basildon Hospital, included seeing ultrasound, X-ray, echocardiogram and CT and MRI scan patients, with almost 400 appointments in its first week.

Other planned CDC sites include Southend (late 2025), Braintree (2026) and Pitsea (2026/27).