Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the £1.55 billion funding for diagnostics to support constitutional standards as set out in NHS England's capital guidance 2026/27 to 2029/30, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment they have made of the extent to which that funding will contribute to achieving NHS constitutional standards relating to (1) elective care, (2) urgent and emergency care, and (3) cancer.

The £1.55 billion investment in diagnostic capacity will support the return to National Health Service constitutional standards by increasing capacity across frontline services including elective care, cancer and urgent and emergency care. National demand and capacity modelling assessed the additional activity required to support the Referral to Treatment standard, enable the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) for cancer to reach 80%, and meet demand from urgent and emergency care.

Funding is being rapidly committed and issued to providers following the appropriate governance, including business case and programme panel approvals. Spend is reported centrally each year, and the full £1.55 billion allocation is forecast to be spent by 31 March 2029. Funding is targeted at areas where diagnostic, elective and cancer performance is most challenged. The modelling included projected cancer referral trends to 2029/30 and the diagnostic capacity required to support the FDS. Delivery is monitored through DM01 diagnostic activity alongside FDS and 62-day cancer performance.

Of the £1.55 billion allocated for diagnostics across the Spending Review period, funding for digital diagnostics is split across 16 workstreams covering pathology, imaging and cross-cutting digital capabilities. Funding will be channelled through diagnostic networks, informed by regional digital roadmaps, with regional allocations confirmed once bids are approved. The investment is expected to increase diagnostic capacity and productivity through improved utilisation, reduced duplicate and low-value testing, greater interoperability and fewer unused appointment slots.