Nigel has welcomed the news that local patients will benefit from quicker access to treatment and lifesaving diagnostic tests close to the community as Selby is set to be home to one of 19 new one-stop shops for tests, checks and scans announced by the Health Secretary today, Wednesday 7 December.
10,932 extra scans and tests will be done each year, including US, Xray, Phlebotomy, MRI, and CT.
The NHS has made progress in tackling the Covid backlogs, virtually eliminating waits of over two years for treatment – the first target in the Elective Recovery Plan – and reducing the number of people waiting 18 months for treatment by almost 60% in one year.
A new Elective Recovery Taskforce – meeting for the first time at No10 Downing Street today – will help deliver on the remaining targets, including eliminating 18-month waits by April 2023 and waits of longer than a year by March 2025.
The announcement of 19 new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) across the country follows record investment into health and social care with the Autumn Statement committing up to an additional £8 billion for health and social care in 2024/25.
Selby’s MP, Nigel Adams said:
"I'm delighted that Selby has been chosen as a centre to deliver quicker access to diagnostic tests. It is great news for our local area and these extra resources aimed at tackling the covid NHS backlogs are very welcome."
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay added:
“The NHS is facing an unprecedented challenge to tackle covid backlogs.
“Hardworking staff have made strong progress but I want to turbocharge our current plans to bust the backlog and help patients get the treatment they need.
“The taskforce will look at sensible steps to utilise all existing capacity to slash waiting lists while ensuring the NHS always remains free at the point of use.”
The new diagnostic centres will be located in the heart of communities across the country including football stadiums and shopping centres, offering a range of services including MRI, CT and x-rays, making tests more accessible for patients. They will take the total of approved CDCs to 127, over 80% of the government's intention to open up to 160 CDCs to perform up to nine million additional tests a year by 2025.
91 are already up and running across the country and new data shows the one-stop shops, backed by £2.3 billion in government funding, have delivered over 2.4 million tests, checks and scans since July 2021. These are speeding up access to services for patients and reducing waiting times. In September CDCs delivered 11% of all diagnostic activity, a significant step in achieving our ambition for 40% of diagnoses to take place in CDCs by 2025.
