The number of people waiting six or more weeks for a diagnostic test in England almost tripled in March 2020 alone as Covid-19 saw hospital postpone “non-urgent” treatment.
New figures from NHS England show that, by the end of March, 85,446 patients had been waiting six or more weeks for diagnostic tests and procedures – up from 29,832 in February and 26,483 in March 2019.
The data covers a series of 15 different medical procedures including MRIs, heart tests, colonoscopies and gastroscopies.
While the total number of people waiting for tests actually fell in March, the percentage waiting for more than six weeks shot up above 10%.
