Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that diagnostic results are transmitted promptly between NHS hospitals and GPs; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using electronic communication for those results.

Ensuring that diagnostic test results are received quickly is a priority for the Government, including the transmission of results between National Health Service hospitals and general practices (GPs). Electronic communication is an important mechanism to enable this.

NHS England has formed 22 imaging and 27 pathology networks across the country, which are working to improve the quality, safety, and productivity of care, including by speeding up test reporting through the use of digital investment. Investment to improve network digitisation will enable diagnostic test results to get back to patients and GPs faster.