London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

More diagnostic hubs to tackle NHS waiting lists in England

More diagnostic hubs to tackle NHS waiting lists in England

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to leave no stone unturned in the government's attempts to tackle mounting problems in the NHS.
With the backlog in hospital treatment rising and delays in A&E and ambulance response times worsening, Mr Sunak said he would get on top of the challenges.

It comes as a taskforce has been set up to make more use of the private sector and reduce waiting lists.

Mr Sunak told BBC News: "What people want is action."

He said: "What people want from their politicians is action to make a difference to their lives - and I am here to tell you we are going to make that difference."

Mr Sunak highlighted the extra money being made available - a £500m winter fund is being distributed to hospitals - to increase bed capacity and provide more support in the community.

This would help reduce the problems in emergency care, including waiting times for ambulances, he said.

And tackling the backlog in routine treatment - more than seven million people are currently waiting for treatment in England - was a key priority.

The government is setting up 19 more diagnostic centres in communities across England to help tackle the Covid backlog.

Ninety one are already open and have delivered more than 2.4 million tests, checks and scans since last summer, ministers say.

It is hoped the centres will speed up access to services for patients, thereby reducing waiting times.

Although the number of people waiting longer than two years for routine operations in England has fallen dramatically since January, health experts say there is still a mountain to climb to reduce the numbers waiting more than a year.

Winter is likely to bring more delays and pressure, particularly with strikes by NHS nurses and ambulance workers also planned in December.

A taskforce, made up of academics and health experts, has been set up to help reduce reduce waiting times by unlocking space in private hospitals. It met for the first time at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.

GPs can refer patients to community diagnostic centres so that they can access life-saving checks and scans, and be diagnosed for a range of conditions, without travelling to hospital.

Some are located in football stadiums and shopping centres and can offer MRI and CT scans, as well as x-rays.

In September, according to the government, the hubs delivered 11% of all diagnostic activity - and its ambition is for 40% to be achieved by 2025.

The government wants to eliminate 18-month waits by April 2023, and waits of longer than one year by March 2025.

It has committed to investing an extra £8bn into health and social care in 2024-25.

NHS England's national director of elective recovery, Sir James Mackey, said NHS staff were working "incredibly hard" to tackle the Covid backlog, adding that it was important to continue to use the independent sector to get waiting lists down.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×