NHS diagnostic test waiting list in England reaches record 1.92 million
8 reported
A record 1.92 million patients in England are waiting for an NHS diagnostic test, according to an analysis of diagnostic services. The waiting list includes tests such as ultrasound scans, MRI scans, CT scans, hearing assessments, and various cancer tests. Demand is exceeding the NHS’s capacity, with over 400,000 patients waiting longer than the six-week maximum. The list has grown by 500,000 since 2022 and is 83% higher than before the Covid pandemic. The health technology firm Magentus reported that on current trends, the waiting list will reach 2 million in March 2027. The Patients Association warned that delays can worsen patients’ conditions, and NHS England stated it delivered a record 29.9 million diagnostic procedures in the last financial year.
What’s reported
1.92 million patients in England are waiting for an NHS diagnostic test.
More than 400,000 patients (one in five) are waiting longer than the six-week maximum.
The waiting list has grown by 500,000 since 2022 and is 83% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
On current trends, the list is projected to hit 2 million in March 2027.
In March, the NHS performed a record 2.61 million tests and scans.
Specific waiting numbers: 674,100 for ultrasound, 394,913 for MRI, 207,524 for CT.
People in areas with the longest waits are almost six times more likely to miss the 28-day cancer diagnosis target.
NHS England delivered 29.9 million diagnostic procedures in the last financial year from 170 community diagnostic centres.
Key figures
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association
Marlen Suller, managing director for clinical diagnostics at Magentus
Erika Denton, professor of radiology at the Norfolk and Norwich NHS trust
NHS England spokesperson (not named)
Sources: The Guardian
