Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide details of how the NHS plans to reduce waiting lists.

We intend to publish the elective recovery delivery plan in November 2021.

We have committed further £1 billion this year to the existing £1 billion Elective Recovery Fund, with more than £8 billion in 2022/23 to 2024/2025. This could deliver the equivalent of nine million more checks, scans and procedures and allow the National Health Service to deliver the equivalent of 30% more elective activity by 2024-25, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

We will also establish a new £700 million Targeted Investment Fund, which includes £250 million to enable cutting edge technologies and £250 million to increase operating theatre capacity and improve productivity in hospitals.