§ Mr. Chaytor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to (a) strategic health authorities and (b) acute trusts in respect of waiting times for (i) MRI scans and (ii) nerve conduction tests. [177605]
§ Mr. Hutton:Data on waiting times for diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and nerve conduction studies are not collected centrally.
However, the Government are committed to improving access to diagnostic services and the Department is working in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHA) and other stakeholders to secure a more responsive service. Each SHA is responsible for developing and implementing local improvement programmes for diagnostic services and to monitor progress against any locally agreed objectives.