Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what elective surgical hubs were established in 2022; what are their locations; what services each hub provides; how they were selected; and when each one became operational.

A table showing surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres (CDCs) established in 2022, with the services provided, the National Health Service region, the relevant integrated care system and NHS trust, the name of the hub and the date of opening, is attached due to the size of the data. Information on the selection criteria for each CDC and surgical hub is not held centrally.

Local systems undertake an evaluation of the most appropriate locations for CDCs, including consideration of accessibility, affordability and addressing inequality and deprivation. Business cases are scrutinised by a national approvals panel with clinical and diagnostic experts to assess feasibility prior to approval. CDC locations are also subject to Ministerial approval. Surgical hub locations have been selected by a clinically-led process to ensure that sites are connected to the appropriate services to deliver high quality outcomes for patients and to consider health inequalities. The independent sector were not invited to participate in the selection of CDCs or surgical hubs.

NHS England has engaged with patient forums and undertaken a public awareness campaign on the expansion of services. The Department and NHS England are working with general practitioners (GPs), cancer charities and patient representatives to expand direct GP access to diagnostic scans for those with concerning symptoms which do not align with the two-week cancer referral target to see a specialist.