£250m injection to help reduce waiting lists

The NHS is to receive £248m funding over the next year for technology to tackle the record waiting list backlog.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) say digital diagnostics services across the NHS will be reformed to increase the efficiency of sharing tests, images and results between hospitals, labs and GP surgeries and that this will lead to quicker detection of illnesses and reduce waiting times for treatment.

The NHS hospital treatment backlog in England has reached a new record, with the number of people waiting more than two years rising to nearly 10,000.

In total of 5.7million people were waiting to start routine hospital treatment at the end of August, according to figures from NHS England.

Under the new computer system, X-ray experts will be able to review high-resolution images remotely 24 hours a day without needing to be in an imaging laboratory.

The funding will also enable GPs to choose the most suitable type of scan for their patient based on their symptoms and medical history, saving them having to make requests to radiologists.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said the funding will help "drive up efficiency" in the NHS.

He said: "This 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.

"Getting a faster diagnosis for a health condition is the first step to getting more people the treatment they need and earlier on.”