The number of patients waiting more than six weeks for NHS diagnostic checks has increased 23-fold in less than a decade to reach 364,000, a study reveals.
Tests and scans are used to detect, diagnose, and predict the likelihood of many diseases, including cancer.
Last night, patient groups described the figures as “alarming” and warned that people are “being left in limbo”, unable to start the treatment they need.
Delays can prevent doctors from prescribing medications or performing surgeries, during which time conditions can worsen and potentially become incurable.
The overall NHS waiting list for diagnostic checks, including MRIs and CT scans, currently stands at a record 1.6 million, NHS England figures show, almost double the number waiting in July 2015. .
Of those, 22 percent (364,544) have been waiting more than six weeks.
The number of six-week waiters has increased 23-fold (from 15,706) since 2015, according to research by the House of Commons Library.
The findings come as Sir Keir Starmer pledged that 92 per cent of patients would not wait more than 18 weeks for hospital treatment by 2029.
The overall NHS waiting list for diagnostic checks, including MRIs and CT scans, currently stands at a record 1.6 million, NHS England figures show.
The number of waiters working six weeks has increased 23-fold (from 15,706) since 2015, according to research by the House of Commons Library.
Delays can prevent doctors from prescribing medications or performing surgeries, during which time conditions can worsen and potentially become incurable.
The number of patients waiting more than six weeks for NHS diagnostic checks has increased 23-fold in less than a decade.
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ health and social care spokesperson, said: “The Prime Minister’s milestone on treatment times risks becoming meaningless if people can’t even get the scans they need.”
But the Liberal Democrats, who commissioned the study, warned the Prime Minister’s promise will be “meaningless” if people cannot get a timely diagnosis.
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ health and social care spokesperson, said: “The Prime Minister’s milestone on treatment times risks becoming meaningless if people can’t even get the scans they need.”
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, called the figures “alarming” and added: “These are not just numbers, they represent millions of people left in limbo, unable to start treatment or even get a diagnosis”.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Detecting cancer at an early stage saves lives, but people across the UK are waiting too long to access vital diagnostic tests.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Our Turnaround Plan will get the NHS back on its feet and control waiting lists.
‘The budget provided the funding to carry out 40,000 additional operations, scans and appointments per week to ensure patients can expect to receive treatment within 18 weeks.
“We are investing around £1.5 billion in capital funding for new surgery centres, diagnostic scanners and beds across the NHS to create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times and help move more attention to the community.