Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on which (a) straight-to-test pathways Community Diagnostic Centres and (b) hospital-based diagnostic services will be used to (i) develop and (ii) deliver its plan to reform elective care.

Currently, the waiting list stands at 7.48 million patient pathways, with over 6 million people waiting. As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out an expectation that performance will increase from the current 58%, as of December 2024, to 65% by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement by March 2026. The plan sets out the breadth of actions necessary to deliver on the RTT standard, including the efforts which will improve productivity, reform the system, and improve patient experience.

The plan announced that the integrated care boards will make optimal use of the new diagnostic capacity by implementing the new standards for Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), in particular, increasing direct referrals and rolling out at least 10 straight-to-test pathways by March 2026.

The Department has, and continues to hold, discussions with NHS England on the delivery of the plan, including ensuring that at least 10 straight-to-test pathways are fully developed and in place by March 2026, and will set out further detail at the earliest opportunity. Both CDC and hospital-based diagnostic services will be integral to the delivery of the Elective Reform Plan.