Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made against the commitment to roll-out new Rapid Diagnostic Centres; and if he will make a statement.

As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, an Implementation Framework will be published shortly which will set out the next steps the National Health Service will take to deliver the commitments and the national activity and support available to systems. The Implementation Framework will assist local health systems, who will build on the engagement already taking place across the country, in developing their strategic Long Term Plan implementation plan over the summer. NHS England and NHS Improvement will then publish a national implementation plan in the autumn.

NHS England has made Service Development Funding available to every Cancer Alliance across the country to support the roll out from this year, starting with one Rapid Diagnostic Centre in each cancer alliance region in 2019/20.

NHS England has announced funding of £70 million over four years to fund lung health checks in 10 areas of the country with some of the highest death rates from lung cancer. The roll out has the potential to reach around 600,000 people over four years, detecting approximately 3,400 cancers and saving hundreds of lives across the country. Work has started now in the 10 areas to plan the delivery of projects.