Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government next plans to publish details of a NHS multi-year funding plan for workforce and cancer diagnostic equipment.

In order to prioritise the response to COVID-19, the Chancellor of the Exchequer conducted a one-year Spending Review. This provided an additional £260 million to continue to increase the National Health Service workforce. Full details on funding allocations towards NHS workforce budgets, including relating to the cancer workforce, in 2021-22 are subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and will be finalised in due course. The 2021-22 settlement included £325 million capital funding for NHS diagnostics, to replace over two thirds of imaging equipment that is over 10 years old.

Funding beyond 2021-22 will be decided at the next Spending Review, of which further information will be announced by HM Treasury in due course. This will be aligned with the development of a longer term plan for the NHS workforce. For diagnostics, this is in line with the Health Infrastructure Plan to improve hospitals and other health infrastructure.