21st June 2011
Department of Health release NHS diagnostics waiting times
Statistical press notice: Diagnostics waiting times and activity data, month ending 30 April 2011, and quarterly census for quarter ending 31 March 2011
The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health:
The monthly data published today gives the waiting times for 15 key diagnostic tests carried out in the NHS.
More information, including a diagnostic data Q&A, is available on the DH website.
Main findings this month:
- The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 6 weeks for any one of the 15 key diagnostics tests at the end of April 2011 was 14,200, an increase of 3,300 from March 2011, and an increase of 10,000 from April 2010.
- Of the patients waiting at the end of April 2011, 97.5% had been waiting under 6 weeks, compared to 98.1% in March 2011, and 99.2% in April 2010.
- The quarterly census of all tests, carried out at the end of March 2011, indicates there are an additional 4,900 over 6 week waiters in tests not captured in the 15 included in the monthly return. This is a decrease of 300 over 6 week waits since the December 2010 census
Links:
Diagnostic data: http://bit.ly/m8SUao
A Department of Health spokesperson said:
"Waiting times go up and they go down – but they remain broadly stable. The average waiting time for diagnostic tests is still low at 2.3 weeks. This is despite increases in diagnostic test activity -the first four months of 2011 saw 230,000 – 4.7% – more diagnostic tests than the same period last year.
"This increase in demand on the NHS shows exactly why we need to modernise the NHS to drive improvements in performance.
"GPs are already showing the difference this can have. In Bexley, GPs have put in place a new service which cut the waiting time to obtain a diagnosis for coronary heart disease from up to nine months to as little as three weeks."
Contacts
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the issuing dept ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk