Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on tackling backlogs in NHS provision in the North-West as a result of the outbreak of covid-19.

In the North West, the number of people waiting two years or more for treatment has been reduced by 86% between January and June 2022.

The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ commits the National Health Service to deliver nine million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures over the next three years and approximately 30% more elective activity by 2024/25, compared to pre-pandemic levels. We have allocated more than £8 billion to support the delivery plan, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund.