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Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 January 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 January 2017. It was answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 January 2017 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Tomography

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) what is the average NHS patient waiting time for the results of diagnostic scans, (2) how much of this waiting time is due to NHS technician staff shortages, and (3) how much delays in early diagnosis as a result of waiting times are estimated to cost the NHS.

Answer

Average median waiting times from general practitioner (GP) referral to the patient receiving the test are published for diagnostic imaging scans every month by NHS England, most recently for November 2016, and are shown in the following table. Waiting times between the tests being performed and the results being conveyed to the patient are not published centrally.

Average median waiting times from GP referral to test for diagnostic imaging scans, November 2016

Imaging scan

Waiting time in weeks

Magnetic resonance imaging

2.0

Computerised tomography

1.6

Non obstetric ultrasound

1.9

Barium Enema

1.5

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

1.8

Source: Diagnostic waiting times, NHS England

No assessment has been made of how much of the waiting time is attributable to National Health Service technician staff shortages, or of how much delays in early diagnosis are estimated to cost the NHS.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL4544
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Costs Diagnosis NHS Waiting lists Vacancies Technicians Tomography
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk