Fall in patients missing waiting list targets for vital scans in South Tyneside

Latest figures have shown fewer patients are missing waiting list targets for vital scans or specialist cancer referrals.
Latest figures have shown fewer patients are missing waiting list targets for vital scans or specialist cancer referrals.Latest figures have shown fewer patients are missing waiting list targets for vital scans or specialist cancer referrals.
Latest figures have shown fewer patients are missing waiting list targets for vital scans or specialist cancer referrals.

The proportion of patients in South Tyneside waiting too long for vital tests has almost halved since its peak last year (2020), but remains way off target.

Many NHS services were cancelled or delayed as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, leaving nearly two thirds of people waiting longer than the six-week standard for MRI and ultrasound scans, among other procedures.

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And while doctors have since managed to cut this back to about 30 per cent, according to the latest figures for the borough, bosses have warned the sheer numbers involved may make recovery difficult.

“We’re looking for one per cent of people, and no more than one per cent of patients, waiting more than six weeks for a diagnostic test,” said Matt Brown, director of operations at South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

“Unfortunately we are about 30 per cent at the minute and that’s reflective of the position the rest of the county finds itself in.

“We’re talking about a very high volume of patients having diagnostic tests, many thousands each month, and therefore it is very difficult to recover, but gradually we’re looking to do that.”

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Brown was speaking at this morning’s (Thursday, January 28) meeting of the CCG’s governing body, which was held by videolink and broadcast via YouTube.

Data also showed the proportion of patients forced to wait more than two weeks for an urgent specialist referral for suspected cancer plummeted early last year, with about a third missing the target, although numbers have started to recover since August (2020).

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