Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for neurology (a) diagnostics, (b) treatment, (c) surgery and (d) other services.

To support elective recovery, we plan to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, supported by a £5.9 billion investment in capital, for new beds, equipment and technology.

This funding could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks and procedures, including for neurology treatment and surgery, and will mean that the National Health Service in England can aim to deliver around 30% more elective activity by 2024/25 than before the pandemic. A significant part of this funding will be invested in staff, both in terms of capacity and skills.

£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the following three years. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services. The funding will also be used to increase capacity for imaging and improving digital diagnostics.