18 Dec 2020
There were at least 4.4 million fewer scans between April and September, many of which could have been life-saving, after the National Health Service (NHS) was told in March to cancel all non-essential appointments because of the Chinese coronavirus.
Analysis conducted by the BBC found that ultrasounds and CT and MRI scans fell by one-third during that period.
NHS England also admitted that the backlog for services is so great that one-in-seven people waiting for a scan have been on the list for more than three months.
Cancer Research UK warns that the delays could mean more people presenting to medical services in a worse condition than they would have had they been allowed to seek treatment earlier.
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Cancer scan backlog raises late detection fears
Millions of people missed out on potentially life-saving scans when non-Covid-19 NHS services ground to a halt during the pandemic, analysis shows.
In England, at least 4.4 million fewer scans were performed between April and September this year compared to the same period in 2019.
One in seven people are now waiting more than three months for a scan as the NHS attempts to clear the backlog.
NHS England says some services are now back to the same levels as last year.
But professional bodies and Cancer Research UK say the period of inactivity has left a backlog that could leave a swathe of people presenting at hospital in a worsened condition.