Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a respiratory services recovery plan to restore healthcare services for patients with lung disease where diagnostics are now (1) back to, or (2) above, pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021/22 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance priorities for NHS England and NHS Improvement includes tackling the backlog for non-urgent treatment, such as services for lung disease patients. This aims to stabilise total waiting lists, eliminate waiting times of two years or more and the increase in waiting times of more than one year. We have made available £1.5 billion to assist local teams increase their capacity and invest in other measures to achieve these priorities.

The Spending Review 2021 announced £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and open community diagnostic centres to provide more clinical tests, including for patients with lung disease.