Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Lord Darzi entitled Independent investigation of the NHS in England, published on 12 September 2024, what steps he plans to take to improve the quality of the NHS equipment referenced in that report.

Professor Lord Darzi highlights that the National Health Service has been starved of capital, with outdated scanners, too little automation, and that the NHS is failing to enter the digital era. The findings provide a diagnosis of the challenges facing the NHS which will inform the solutions, including the 10-year plan to reform the NHS.

Digital transformation and technology are critical to the future of the NHS. We are committed to providing the NHS with the latest technology and replacing outdated equipment to catch cancer and other conditions earlier, thereby saving lives.

As part of this, we are progressing our commitment to double the number of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners to address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, accelerate cancer diagnosis, and build an NHS fit for the future. We will harness the power of technologies like artificial intelligence to transform the speed and accuracy of diagnostic services, saving potentially thousands of lives.

The Frontline Digitisation programme is working to improve digital maturity across the NHS, prioritising hardware, connectivity, and electronic patient record systems. National support is in place for trusts to procure and implement electronic patient records.