NHS patients will soon have faster access to life-saving cancer tests, as a new high-capacity diagnostics centre opens in Bradley Stoke this month.
The new clinic, run by independent provider SAH Diagnostics, will offer rapid access to diagnostics in urology, dermatology, gynaecology and ultrasound, helping to reduce NHS waiting times and speed up diagnosis.
The streamlined model will deliver significant savings for the NHS by increasing clinical staff capacity, expanding available clinical space, cutting medical supply costs and enabling the NHS to treat an additional 14,000 patients in the region each year. The clinic will deliver savings of 10-15% per patient compared to equivalent NHS provision.
With six fully equipped clinical rooms, 20 staff and capacity to test up to 60 patients a day, the centre will provide a range of diagnostic procedures. To support faster diagnosis, SAH will deliver its innovative 28-day cancer diagnostic pathways at the Bradley Stoke clinic for NHS patients, ensuring they move quickly from GP referral to diagnosis and results, often in less than three weeks – helping to reduce anxiety as well as ensuring patients receive any necessary treatment quickly.
Feroz Agad, executive director at SAH diagnostics, says: “Earlier cancer diagnosis means better outcomes for patients and less pressure on the NHS. Our new clinic brings diagnostics closer to the community, helps to get patients out of hospital settings and is more cost efficient for the NHS Trusts. Our proven 28-day pathway shows what’s possible with a streamlined and outsourced model working hand-in-hand with the NHS.
“Having already introduced our model to a number of trusts around the country, we see this first dedicated SAH Diagnostics clinic as a pilot to showcase what we can do. Our ambition is to develop these across the country and play a part in helping to tackle waiting lists and improve outcomes for patients.
“We’re delighted that our new clinic and team will also be playing a key role in supporting essential clinical training to address the skills shortages in the South West.”
Demand for cancer diagnosis is rising fast. In January 2025, more than 255,000 people in England were urgently referred with suspected cancer. Over the next five years, the number of annual referrals is projected to rise by 21%, placing even greater pressure on diagnostic services.
The Bradley Stoke clinic is part of a forward-looking approach to meet this demand, by expanding local access, accelerating diagnosis and helping ensure the system is ready for the future. The centre is being launched as a pilot site and forms the first step in SAH’s national ambition to open similar clinics in cities across the UK.
