Oral Answers to Questions

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Excerpts

Tuesday 15th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

It is precisely because of the situation the hon. Member describes—the poor services and, ironically, the underspends in the dentistry budget—that we will work not only to stand up the 700,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments we promised, but to do the prevention work for children in our schools.

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

T4. Many people in my constituency are grateful that Slough will soon be home to a £25 million community diagnostic centre, which will help to reduce waiting lists, but many are also concerned that the local trust may be contracting out services for MRI scans. Does the Minister agree that, instead of just outsourcing, local trusts should, whenever possible, try to increase expertise and capacity in-house?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

We are committed to expanding community diagnostic capacity to build an NHS that is fit for the future. However, we are clear that independent sector providers have a role to play in supporting the NHS as trusted partners to recover elective services.