Millions of people in England are unable to get tested for life-threatening diseases due to widespread delays as doctors fear it will harm patients.
A total of 386,849 people were waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests for cancer, heart problems and other serious conditions in September, according to analysis of NHS waiting time data by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
NHS England has asked health trusts to ensure that by 2027 no more than 20% of all patients have to wait so long for any tests used to detect diseases such as CT scans and MRIs.
However, delays are so common that RCR analysis found that almost half (46%) of trusts are missing the six-week target.
The hold-up is dangerous because patients cannot begin treatment until their disease is properly diagnosed, it has been warned.
“These long-term and widespread delays in testing are extremely concerning,” said Dr. Stephen Harden, president of the RCR.
“Too many patients are facing long, 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 identify heart problems and barium enema and colonoscopy, both of which are used to diagnose bowel cancer.
Harden said: “Delayed diagnostic tests mean patients are waiting anxiously, sometimes in pain, for weeks or months for answers about their health. Delays in test reporting and diagnosis often persist due to a chronic shortage of radiologists interpreting scans.
“Any delay in accessing treatment can lead to poor health outcomes and even preventable deaths.”
He added: “Evidence shows that the risk of death increases by 10% for every month cancer treatment is delayed. Some cancers, such as lung cancer, require multiple tests and scans to be properly diagnosed, so delays in accessing tests can have devastating consequences.”
Officially, NHS trusts are to ensure that no more than 1% of patients wait more than six weeks for a test. However, that goal has not been met since 2015. NHS England has now set a 20% target as an interim measure to help trusts improve their performance.
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The Public Accounts Committee recently warned that delays in accessing diagnostic tests and treatment have not been reduced despite NHS England investing billions of pounds in community diagnostic centers and surgical centres.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has expressed doubt that the government will meet its key pledge to restore the 18-week wait for planned hospital care by 2029, as has the Health Foundation thinktank.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government has inherited a broken NHS, with waiting lists growing and alternative services in desperate need of modernisation, but we are turning the situation around.
“We are improving our NHS and we are making good progress, waiting lists have gone down and almost 193,000 more patients have received a cancer diagnosis or received everything on time in the last 12 months compared to the previous year.
“But we know there is much more to do. That’s why we are committed to improving cancer care through the upcoming National Cancer Plan.”
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