Hundreds of thousands of people in England Tests for deadly diseases are failing due to widespread delays, which doctors fear will harm patients.
A total of 386,849 people waited more than six weeks for diagnostic tests for cancer, heart problems and other serious conditions, according to an analysis in September. National Health Service Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) waiting time data.
NHS England has instructed health trusts to ensure that by 2027 no more than 20% of all patients will have to wait that long to get any of the tests it uses to detect diseases, such as CT scans and MRIs.
However, delays are so common that almost half (46%) of trusts are missing the six-week target, RCR analysis has found.
The delays are dangerous because treatment for patients cannot begin until their illness is properly diagnosed, they warned.
“These chronic and widespread delays in testing are deeply troubling,” said Dr. Stephen Harden, president of RCR.
“Too many patients face long and anxious waits for answers about their health. Without action, these delays will continue to put patients at risk.”
Tests affected include ultrasound scans, Dexa scans to detect osteoporosis, hearing tests, echocardiograms to detect heart problems, and barium enemas and colonoscopies, both of which are used to diagnose bowel cancer.
Harden said: “Delayed diagnostic tests mean patients wait weeks or months, sometimes in pain, for answers about their health. These delays often continue with test reports and diagnoses due to a chronic shortage of radiologists who interpret scan results.
“Any delay in access to treatment can worsen health outcomes and even lead to preventable deaths.”
He added: “Evidence shows a 10% increase in the risk of death for every month cancer treatment is delayed. Some cancers, such as lung cancer, require multiple tests and scans to properly diagnose them, so delayed access to tests can have devastating consequences.”
Officially, NHS trusts are intended to ensure that no more than 1% of patients wait more than six weeks for a test. However, this goal has not been achieved since 2015. NHS England has now set a target of 20% as an interim measure to help trusts improve their performance.
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The Public Accounts Committee recently warned that delays in access to diagnostic tests and treatment have not decreased despite NHS England's multi-billion pound investment in community diagnostic centers and surgery centres.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies expressed doubts that the government will deliver on its key promise to reinstate the 18-week wait for elective hospital care by 2029, as Health Fund Analytical Center.
Department Health A social care spokesman said: “This government inherited a broken NHS, with growing waiting lists and elective services in desperate need of modernization, but we have turned the tide.
“We are reforming our NHS and making good progress: in the last 12 months waiting lists have fallen compared to the previous year and around 193,000 patients have been diagnosed with cancer or made a full recovery on time.
“But we know there is still more to be done. That's why we are committed to improving cancer care through the upcoming national cancer plan.”
