Capital funding essential for the NHS as government expands diagnostic centres

Responding to the government's announcement on the reduction in waiting times for diagnostic scans, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 

“Investing in increasing diagnostic capacity like new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is crucial to speeding up access for patients, improving efficiency within the NHS, and reducing hospital pressures.  

“Opening new CDCs are an excellent example of how investing capital funding in the NHS can accelerate diagnosis and treatment times. A decade of underinvestment in capital funding has left the health service struggling with outdated infrastructure and a shortage of diagnostic machines. So more capital funding is essential if the NHS is going to be able to buy the modern scanners and equipment it needs. 

“Health leaders welcomed the additional capital investment set out in the Budget last year, yet this is still at least £3.3bn a year short of what they say is needed to address historical underinvestment and plug the productivity gap. 

“We hope that the Chancellor’s forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review will increase NHS capital investment and that the National Infrastructure Strategy will open up much needed new routes for mutual investment from the private sector.”