Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the backlog of bowel cancer screenings that has developed since those services were paused as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

To minimize the impact on patients and ensure safe clinical practice for the NHS Bowel Screening Programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement prioritised individuals with the highest risk during the COVID-19 response.

All 64 bowel screening centres are now undertaking diagnostic colonoscopies and sending routine invitations. As of 5 October 2020, the number of people who have had a FIT-positive result and are awaiting a diagnostic test has nearly halved in comparison to those waiting in April 2020.