Waiting list for diagnostic tests in Reading reaches almost 7000

NHS waiting lists in Reading for basic diagnostic tests - including MRI and CT scans - grew by 26% between June 2019 and July 2023, up to 6,855.

The research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows that the proportion of people waiting over six weeks for a diagnostic test is well above the NHS target of less than 1%. The percentage of people waiting more than six weeks has spiked since 2019 by 28%.

Reading Liberal Democrats are calling for an expansion of community diagnostic centres to bring services closer to where people live and ensure they can be seen far quicker.

The party is also calling for the right for everyone to see their GP in seven days by increasing the number of appointments and the number of GPs by 8,000. The Lib Dems have also called for investment in new hospital equipment to ensure that patients get the first-class treatment that they deserve.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Reading Borough Council, Councillor James Moore said:

“What this Conservative government has done to the NHS is nothing short of a national scandal. Thousands of patients in Reading are forced to wait in pain and discomfort, anxiously wondering when they will get a diagnosis, let alone treatment.

“Ministers are missing in action in this NHS crisis, and it’s patients in Reading who are suffering. We need urgent action to get on top of this mess, end these appalling delays and ensure our community gets the local health services that we deserve.”