Diagnostic and Cancer Waiting Times data for November 2023

Responding to November’s Diagnostic Waiting Times data for England, Dr Katharine Halliday, President of The Royal College of Radiologists, said:

 “Today’s data, revealing slight improvements in cancer and diagnostic waiting times, are testament to our dedicated clinical teams nationwide. However, a concerning milestone is the unprecedented half-million patients waiting for MRI or CT scans for the first time. This means half a million patients and their families are enduring an anxiety-inducing wait for diagnosis or treatment.

“Of particular concern are the 80,000 patients waiting over 6 weeks for scans. To report this many scans, we'd need to hire 369 radiologists overnight, emphasising the urgent need for workforce expansion.

“If the current Government is serious about meeting their targets, we need to see a commitment to investing in the workforce. This means focusing on how to stem the flow of doctors leaving the service, investing in retention measures, and committing to expanding and funding specialty training places for clinical oncologists and clinical radiologists.”