Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of average waiting times for joint replacement surgery in University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) clear backlogs and (b) reduce average waiting times for joint replacement surgery in that area.

As of May 2022, the median average (median) waiting time for trauma and orthopaedic treatment at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, including joint replacement surgery was 34.3 weeks.

The High Volume Low Complexity programme plans to increase surgical activity through a £1.5 billion investment in dedicated surgical hubs. Through £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund, the Trust was awarded £13.8 million to deliver an expected 164 additional adult inpatient beds.