Waiting time figures announced

The following statistics have been released by the Department of Health:

Diagnostics waiting times & activity data, month ending 31 January 2010 and quarterly census, period ending 31 December 2009

This data shows the NHS' progress in tackling the waiting times for diagnostic tests like scans. The monthly data published today gives the waiting times for 15 key diagnostic tests carried out in the NHS. Also published is the latest quarterly census of all diagnostic tests, which picks up longer waits in areas outside the 15 monthly tests.

This data will help the NHS in delivering the 18 week maximum wait from GP to treatment, including all diagnostic tests, by end 2008. More information, including a diagnostic data Q&A, is available via the 18 week website.

Main findings this month

· The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 6 weeks for one of the 15 key diagnostics tests at the end of January 2009 was 7,100, an increase of 1,700 (32.0%) from December 2009, and a rise of 1,100 (18.5%) from January 2009.

· The number of patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, waiting over 13 weeks for one of the 15 key diagnostics tests at the end of January 2010 was 599, compared to 200 in December 2009 and 1,097 in January 2009.

· The quarterly census of all tests, carried out at the end of December 2009, indicates there are an additional 3,500 over 6 week waiters and 500 over 13 week waiters in tests not captured in the 15 included in the monthly return. This is a decrease of around 1,100 over 6 week waits, and around 200 in the number of over 13 week waits, since the September 2009 census.

More details on the facts and figures are available HERE