DoH releases diagnostics waiting times statistics

The Department of Health (DoH) has released statistics detailing the diagnostics waiting times and activities to the end of November 2008.

Figures found the number of patients waiting over six weeks for one of the 15 key tests was 4,800 – a decrease of 1,300 from the month before and a drop of 85,100 on 12 months previous.

The results also found there were 1,700 people holding out over 13 weeks for a diagnostics examination, a fall of 800 from October 2008 and a lowering of 30,600 from November 2007.

In a press release, the DoH said the figures show the “progress in tackling the waiting times for diagnostic tests, like scans”.

The government organisation added: “This data will help the NHS in delivering the 18 week maximum wait from GP to treatment, including all diagnostic tests, by [the] end [of] 2008.”

Other results noted audiology assessments make up the highest proportion of waits for patients, however the amount of people holding out six weeks decreased by 27.6 per cent between October and November 2008.

Earlier this week, the DoH released similar inpatient and outpatient figures.

They found the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks at the end of November 2008 was 32,900 – a fall of 7,900 from the previous month.