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 support Greater Manchester ICB to increase the speed of access to diagnostic tests for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Data on the number of people waiting to receive a spirometry test for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) is not held centrally.

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including in Greater Manchester. This means making sure that patients, including those waiting to receive a spirometry test or other diagnostic tests for COPD, are seen on time, and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

The Government is supporting the Greater Manchester ICB to increase the speed of diagnostic tests for COPD, for instance through community diagnostic centres (CDCs). There are seven CDCs across the Greater Manchester ICB, of which four are either a standard or large model CDC. All standard and large CDCs are required to offer respiratory tests such as spirometry, and full lung function tests.

The Greater Manchester ICB is also exploring and testing innovative case finding tools for patients with COPD and asthma as part of a Greater Manchester toolkit for respiratory care, including developing remote spirometry as a proof of concept. The Greater Manchester ICB has also trained approximately 300 staff to provide quality assured spirometry to patients, and is currently working towards getting staff accredited to Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology standards.

In January 2025, we published the Elective Reform Plan. The plan sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The Elective Reform Plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the Referral to Treatment 18-week standard.

This includes expanding existing CDCs, as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26, to support the NHS to return to meeting the elective waiting time constitutional standard. The plan also commits to CDCs opening 12 hours per day, seven days a week, delivering more same-day tests and consultations, and to an expanded range of tests.