Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will continue the (a) Hospital Rebuilding Programme and (b) implementation of Community Diagnostic Centres.

The Government recognises that strategic, value for money investments in capital projects are critical to providing good quality care. Specific commitments regarding the future of existing capital programmes are subject to the next Spending Review, with timescales for this not yet confirmed.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded, and a realistic timetable for delivery. He will consider this carefully then report back to patients, clinicians, and local communities to confirm any revision to the schedule.

The National Health Service is committed to rolling out additional diagnostic tests and scans from a network of 160 Community Diagnostic Centres across the country by March 2025, as part of the NHS’s Elective Recovery Plan published in 2022.

It is unacceptable that some patients have been waiting over six weeks for a diagnostic test. The Government will support the NHS in increasing diagnostic capacity, to meet the demand for diagnostic services, as a priority. Specific programmes of funding to support this are subject to the upcoming Spending Review.