Government to provide NHS with £248m for more diagnostics

The NHS will receive £248 million over the next year to invest in technology that will deliver more diagnostic tests, checks and scans to help provide faster diagnosis of a health condition, earlier treatment and reduce waiting lists.

The investment aims to reduce the administrative burden on NHS staff and reduce the turnaround time from a patient taking a test to receiving a diagnosis and then starting treatment.

Diagnostics services across the NHS will be digitalised using to improve the way tests, images and results can be shared across computer systems in hospitals, labs and GP surgeries so results can be accessed more quickly and easily, even if they are working from different settings.

The new technology will allow imaging specialists to review high-res images remotely without needing to be in an imaging lab, 24 hours a day.

The funding will also provide a new tool to help GPs and other clinicians choose the most suitable scan for their patient based on the patient’s symptoms and medical history.

It follows the recommendations from Professor Sir Mike Richards’ independent review of NHS diagnostics capacity showing improving digitisation should be prioritised to drive efficiency and deliver seamless care.

Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today’s multi-million-pound investment will play a big role in levelling up diagnostics services across the country so patients can get faster results and healthcare professionals can get their job done more easily, reducing unnecessary administrative burden, and making every taxpayer’s pound count.

“Getting a faster diagnosis for a health condition is the first step to getting more people the treatment they need and earlier on, and our funding will help ensure our NHS has access to the latest digital technology to drive up efficiency.”

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “The NHS is facing a winter like no other with rising cases of COVID and flu as well as record demand for emergency services, all while we continue to deliver the biggest vaccination programme in health service history, including rolling out booster jabs for the most vulnerable.

“However, NHS staff are making efficient use of additional funding and following the recent rollout of new diagnostic centres, the number of patients waiting for a diagnostic test is falling for the first time in a year, meaning more people are getting the checks they need and if required, are able to begin treatment sooner.”

Over 1.5 billion diagnostic tests are carried out in England every year. They are crucial to providing early diagnosis, screening, and monitoring of long-term conditions and are often the first step to understanding the right care and treatment for a patient. Recovering diagnostics services is vital to recovering the overall NHS backlog and reducing waiting times for cancer services and other treatments.