PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Community Diagnostic Centres (28 October 2024)

Question Asked

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) checks, (b) tests and (c) scans were carried out at community diagnostic centres opened since the 2021 Spending Review, as of 4 July 2024.

Asked by:
Victoria Atkins (Conservative)

Answer

As of the end of June 2024, community diagnostics centres (CDCs) had delivered 9,292,578 tests, checks and scans since the 2021 Spending Review at the end of October. Over this period, the diagnostic waiting list has increased from 1,428,415 as at the end of October 2021 where 356,784 (25.0%) people were waiting over six weeks, to 1,639,813 at the end of June 2024 where 375,416 (23.9%) people were waiting over 6-weeks for a diagnostic test. 2024/25 NHS Operational Planning Guidance set an objective for just 5% to be waiting six weeks. Due to seasonal effects, some care should be exercised when comparing six week wait percentages figures in different months of the year.

CDC activity data is published monthly and cannot be provided up to a specific date within that month. Published CDC activity data details activity from July 2021 to August 2024. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

Monthly activity and waiting list data for diagnostics is published monthly and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/

The following table lists the number of checks, tests and scans delivered in each of the requested months across 2024:

Month

CDC activity delivered since Oct-21 Spending Review

CDC activity delivered in each month

Jan-24

6,841,026

393,742

Feb-24

7,279,148

438,122

Mar-24

7,826,454

547,306

Apr-24

8,263,510

437,056

May-24

8,718,759

455,249

Jun-24

9,292,578

573,819

Jul-24

9,771,674

479,096

Source: NHS England


Answered by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)
31 October 2024

Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.