Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of ultrasound scans for cancer assessments in (a) England, (b) London and (c) the London Borough of Hounslow.

The Department works closely with NHS England to monitor the availability of diagnostic services, including ultrasound scans for cancer assessments. Although no specific assessments have currently been made by the Department at a national level, in London or Hounslow, NHS England’s London regional team reviews imaging activity data on a weekly basis, including ultrasound. Data is reviewed across London, at integrated care system and provider level.

£2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years, including by increasing the availability of abdominal ultrasounds for cancer diagnostics. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.