Half a million patients waiting for health tests
Nearly half a million people in England had been waiting longer than six weeks for a key diagnostic health test in January, according to new figures.
NHS England said 485,956 patients, 30.8% of the total, were waiting longer than six weeks for one of 15 standard tests in January, - including MRI scans, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy, the highest level since the height of the pandemic in the summer of 2020.
This is up from 481,924 in December (31.3% of the total) and is the highest number waiting longer than six weeks since July 2020, when the total was 489,797 (39.6%).
The NHS has set an ambition that 95% of patients needing a diagnostic test receive it within six weeks by March 2025.
Prof Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said there had been "no letup" of pressures, with staff facing "significant levels” of patients with respiratory illnesses in hospitals, which came at the same time as disruption from industrial action. He said: "Despite this, staff continued to deliver for patients, bringing down elective waits, treating more cancer patients and delivering more diagnostic tests for people than ever before.
"Ambulance response times in February for the most serious callouts sustained improvements seen in January. This is a huge achievement. We are extremely grateful for the enormous efforts from staff, who we know are tired, after an extremely challenging few months.
"The NHS will not stop in its efforts to bring down 18 month waits for elective care and bring down the cancer backlog.”