Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the (a) Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care System and (b) Vale of York.

£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 up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) and across the Vale of York. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy and implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.