Health Services: Greater London

(asked on 6th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support his Department is providing to patients on waiting lists in North Central London CCG; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using innovative medical technology to support the CCG is clearing its backlog of patients.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 18th January 2022

We have made £2 billion available through the Elective Recovery Fund which assists local systems, including those in North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group, to tackle waiting lists. In addition, we have committed £8 billion between 2022 and 2025 to transform elective services and increase activity in England. A further £5.9 billion of capital funding was announced in the 2021 Spending Review to support elective recovery, diagnostics and technology.

Trusts in North Central London CCG are using all available resources to treat patients on waiting lists as quickly as possible, while prioritising those with the most urgent health needs. This includes providing surgery seven days a week; operating additional outpatient clinics; investing in new equipment for high-volume procedures; developing clinical networks and temporary specialist surgical hubs; and the use of independent sector beds and theatres.

In addition, Chase Farm Hospital are using artificial intelligence to improve efficiency. In North Central London CCG, a community audiology-led clinic is being supported by tele-video-otology, to reduce unnecessary hospital visits and allow surgeons to focus on complex cases in their clinics. The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is sharing its expertise in robotic process automation to improve on productivity and allowing staff to be returned to patient-centred activities.

Reticulating Splines