Three-month wait for scan results cut to two weeks

Three-month waits for CT scan results are set to fall to two weeks by Christmas, according to a Shropshire health trust.

NHS England figures show that between January and June 2024, more than 4,000 people in Shropshire waited longer for scan results than the government's four-week target.

The Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust said it had been able to reduce waiting times by outsourcing some radiology reporting to Australia.

Julie Bickley, from Wem, whose husband has cancer, said they used to wait 12 weeks for his scan results, but they were told about the latest one in less than a week.

Nigel Bickley is being treated for terminal bowel cancer, which has spread to his liver and kidney. He requires regular monitoring scans to check that his treatment is working.

His wife Julie said it was really important that waits were coming down to two weeks, to not only manage her husband's cancer but also for the well-being of the whole family.

"It's the waiting, the not knowing... I do hope this is something that will continue and the hospital will stand by its statement."

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has welcomed plans to cut the wait times for CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan results.

In November, she revealed to the House of Commons that the county had the worst record in the country for scan results.

NHS statistics show that one in three people referred by their GP for an MRI, CT or X-ray scan at SaTH are having to wait more than a month for their results, she said.

Jo Williams, interim chief executive officer of SaTH, confirmed in a letter to the MP that urgent CT scans were expected to see a significant improvement by Christmas, with turnaround times set to hit the two-week target.

She said scan reporting was being outsourced to external providers, such as Everlight Radiology in Australia, to help manage demand and speed up the process.

The trust added that the backlog of CT scans is on track to be cleared by the end of January, with MRI reporting expected to be fully recovered by March.

Ms Morgan said: "No one should have to endure the mental and physical toll of waiting weeks or even months for the results of a scan.

"These tests are often the first step in accessing treatment, and delays risk making health outcomes far worse while causing added stress and anxiety. We must ensure this progress is maintained in the long term.

"Outsourcing is important in addressing the current crisis, but this is not a long-term solution.

Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: "The problem is we just don't have enough radiologists."

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