Around £52 million is being made available to set up a string of new health centres across West Yorkshire – including three in the Bradford district.

The aim of the new “hub and spoke” centres, which will be located where residents most need them, is to relieve pressure on diagnostics at acute centres.

Feasibility studies have taken place to help determine provision required to meet local needs, though final plans and actual venues are not finalised.

However, in the Bradford and Craven area the “hub” is expected to be at a planned new health facility in Keighley town centre.

“Spoke” centres will be based at Squire Lane, likely to be in a planned new health and wellbeing centre, and in Eccleshill.

The report added: “Further analysis is being undertaken to establish if the proposed spoke provision addresses the inequalities in access to diagnostics in Bradford District and Craven.”

A meeting of the West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee held earlier this month heard that the new centres would “deliver additional diagnostic capacity and provide a coordinated service, meaning patients will need fewer visits to access a range of diagnostic tests.”

In Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, intention is for a two “hub” and five “spoke” model which would see centres in Huddersfield, Wakefield, Todmorden, Dewsbury, Castleford and Hemsworth.

The preferred option for Leeds would see an upgrading of Seacroft NHS estate as a standard model community diagnostic health centre alongside two more “hubs” at Armley and Beeston Village in currently empty NHS sites.

Rebecca Spavin, of West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, said approval had not yet been given for exact sites going forward but £52 million capital funding was being made available with revenue funding also there for three years, aiming to ensure centres were sustainable beyond that.

The centres would make available diagnostics, where appropriate for planned or elective rather than acute reasons, available for health issues ranging from urology to cardiac and cancer pathways.

Ms Spavin said “hubs” providing a minimum set of diagnostic tests in imaging, pathology and physiological measurements while “spokes” need to provide tests in imaging and at least one other diagnostic test.

Coun Liz Smaje (Kirklees, Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw) wanted clarification on where they were going to be.

Ms Spavin said options were being worked on but could include renting existing premises, for example in retail centres.