PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(27 April 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference his Department's press release entitled NHS patients to get quicker tests and scans closer to home, published on 13 April 2026, whether teenagers and young adults will have access to diagnostic services at new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that diagnostic pathways at these Centres are appropriate for patients aged 13–25.

Asked by:
Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat)

The Department is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to bring down the size of the list and reduce waiting times. The Department also recognises that teenagers and young adults require age-appropriate care, regarding diagnosis, treatment and wider support.

In April 2026, the Department announced its plan to open four new community diagnostic centres during 2026/27. The Department also announced a further 32 centres, which will be expanded and improved with new scanning equipment, outpatient clinic space and testing facilities. The 36 centres, backed by a £237 million Government investment, will significantly boost NHS diagnostic capacity and deliver more care in local communities, including for teenagers and young adults.

Answered by:
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