Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce endoscopy waiting lists in (a) the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System and (b) South Tyneside.

£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.

Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including the North East and North Cumbria ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.

NHS North-East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board is working closely with partner organisations to produce a Joint Forward Plan for 2023/24 to 2028/29, which is due to be published soon. The plan will include a significant focus on improving pathways, capacity and ultimately patient experience across diagnostic pathways, including endoscopy.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, the main provider of diagnostics for South Tyneside and Jarrow, plan to deliver a 4% increase in elective activity from their 2019/2020 levels. This includes endoscopy services.