The Manchester Diagnostic Suite, a specialist diagnostic service located at Citylabs 1.0 next to the Manchester Royal Infirmary, has been named as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This is the highest rating clinical services can receive and provides independent assurance of the exceptional quality of care delivered to patients across Greater Manchester.
As well as offering imaging for private patients and corporate health assessments, the Manchester Diagnostic Suite works closely alongside local NHS hospitals to support NHS patients with heart conditions, helping to reduce waiting lists and improving access to timely care.
Waiting times for diagnostics tests are a major bottleneck for the NHS. Recent NHS data showed that a record 1.8m people are now waiting for diagnostic imaging, with more than 200,000 of those patients living in the North-west. The Manchester Diagnostic Suite provides significant additional capacity to support patients across the region, with the service providing fast access to leading diagnostics for around 10,000 patients each year.
In addition, the centre provides medical assessments for travel Visas, working alongside Northern Visa Medicals. It is becoming increasingly renowned for its work supporting performance athletes, in conjunction with its sister site – Manchester Institute of Health and Performance.
One of the key areas highlighted by the CQC was their focus on delivering positive patient experience, stating that “patients consistently told us their experience was supportive of good outcomes and that they only had positive comments from walking through the door to leaving.” Crucially, inspectors noted the excellent standard of care delivered to all patients walking through their doors – quoting one patient saying they were made to feel “like a VIP”.
Dr Manish Motwani, Consultant Cardiologist at Manchester Diagnostic Suite, said: “I’m constantly impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the team here, and it’s wonderful to see this recognised. This achievement reflects the compassion, expertise and exceptional care offered to every patient who walks through the doors, and I’m proud to bring my patients to this fantastic facility.”
Tim Cornell, Hospital Director at Nuffield Health Manchester, said: “We are incredibly proud of this achievement and the support we give to patients from across Greater Manchester. On a daily basis I see the exceptional care, empathy and support the team provides, which makes this recognition even more special.”
This achievement comes as the centre prepares for significant investment, with the suite to benefit from AI‑enabled imaging system upgrades systems as part of Nuffield Health’s £200m investment in diagnostic services, delivered in partnership with GE HealthCare.
Nuffield Health operates 35 hospitals across the UK with a strong focus on delivering safe, high‑quality care. This latest ‘Outstanding’ rating reinforces its position as the only independent healthcare provider operating across England, Wales and Scotland with all services rated Good or Outstanding by national regulators.
The CQC’s Inspection Report for Manchester Diagnostics Suite is available here: Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite - Care Quality Commission
