PATIENTS are waiting less time than they did last year for important diagnostic scans at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, bucking the national trend.

The latest NHS England data shows that 6,810 people were referred for diagnostic imaging at the trust in June.

This can include X-rays, MRI scans and ultrasounds, which are often used to detect cancer.

In the Wirral University NHS trust the wait for CT scans on the chest dropped by eight days to 18 days.

Waiting times for brain scans by three days to four days and ultrasounds by eight to 18 days.

Generally people received X-rays on the same day as they booked the appointment.

At most trusts across England diagnostic imaging waiting times increased.

Dr Caroline Rubin, vice president for clinical radiology at the Royal College of Radiologists, said trusts were short staffed and underequipped.

“There are not enough radiographers to do these scans, and equipment is at capacity, so even if we had more staff they wouldn’t have equipment to use,” she explained.

“If you look at our data, you can see that the number of CT and MRI scans that are performed has gone up by about 10% each year.”

Research by the college shows one in ten CT scanners and nearly a third of MRI scanners in UK hospitals are technically obsolete, while still being used.

On top of this Dr Rubin says not enough doctors are being trained in radiology: “More than 10% of consultant radiologist posts are vacant across UK hospitals.”

She explained that as well as a wait for a test, patients have to wait afterwards for the results.

“This can have a psychological impact on people who may think they have cancer, even if the scan is clear.”

She said that while a two week wait for a scan is unlikely to have an adverse affect on a cancer patient, it does delay the overall treatment process.

At the Conservative party conference, Theresa May announced the plan to build rapid diagnostic centres around the country as part of new cancer strategy.

“The key to boosting your chances of surviving cancer is an early diagnosis,” the Prime Minister said.

“Through our cancer strategy we will increase the early detection rates from one-in-two today to three-in-four by 2028.

“We’ll do it by lowering the age which we screen for bowel cancer from 60 to 50, by investing in the very latest scanners, and by building more rapid diagnosis centres.”