Dr Clark said the wait time for a “routine MRI scan” had been cut in half, from six to three weeks.

The new facility, which is expected to deliver up to 130,000 additional tests annually, was officially launched by health minister Karin Smyth on Thursday.

“This centre is transformative for people here [in north Kent],” she told BBC South East.

“Bringing care into the community, getting down those waiting lists, these centres are a critical part of that.”

The Labour MP described the unveiling as “really uplifting”.

She said: “Staff are working in the most appalling conditions in many parts of the country.

“They don’t have the tools to do the job that they want to do, but here they’ve got those tools, they’ve got those facilities, and that’s palpable change for patients as well.”