WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has expressed her concern about patient waiting times on the NHS after new figures revealed waits are increasing.
Official figures released by the Department of Health showed waiting times for diagnostic tests such as x-rays and ultrasound scans have increased since last year.
The number of patients waiting for six weeks or longer for diagnostic tests in August increased by 92 per cent compared with last year, from 5,795 a year ago to 11,119.
In addition, the number of patients waiting more than 13 weeks for diagnostic tests in August saw a six-fold increase compared to last year – 1,272 patients this year compared with 198 last year.
The biggest rises in waiting times came for patients waiting for colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and urodynamics.
The MP said: “I am very concerned about this latest bad news for NHS patients. Early diagnostic tests are a huge part of why the NHS saw huge improvements in survival rates from conditions such as cancer and heart disease over the last 13 years.
“The figures show that the number of patients suffering from long waiting times for tests for cancer and other serious conditions is continuing to rise under David Cameron. I am particularly concerned about the six-fold increase compared with last year in the number of people still waiting at 13 weeks for vital tests.
“The British Medical Association has said that longer waiting times cause stress for patients and that can have knock-on effects. They have also made it clear that the Tory-led Government’s demands for £20 billion of savings across the NHS are stretching services.
“NHS doctors and nurses are working tirelessly to cope with the cuts that are being made by the Tories and to protect patients, however, we are starting to see the real impact the Tories are having on the NHS.
“With waiting times going up it makes it even more reckless for David Cameron to be imposing a costly and dangerous top-down reorganisation of the NHS which will cost £2 billion. The Tories and Lib Dems are out of touch and in denial about the impact their attack on the NHS is having on patient services.”
WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has expressed her concern about patient
waiting times on the NHS after new figures revealed waits are
increasing.
MP's concern over NHS waiting times
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About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
