The number of brain MRI scans fell by 16 per cent while there were 24 per cent0 fewer chest x-rays performed and a drop of 29% in ultrasounds of the pelvis and abdomen.
Dr William Ramsden from the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has called for further investment into radiology training.
He said: The pause in non-elective NHS work during the coronavirus peak last spring had a huge knock-on impact on waits for scans and treatment.
‘NHS England has helped increase radiology capacity, coming through with emergency funding for scanners and private provider support, which must continue.’
Dr Ramsden said the RCR supported NHS plans to speed up scan access via diagnostic hubs but said thousands more radiologists were needed in order to ensure the changes could be implemented successfully and patients treated, scanned and diagnosed in a timely manner.
Cancer scans drop by more than a third at the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust The number of scans used to diagnose cancer dropped by more than a third as the coronavirus pandemic hit hospital services at the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust. A pause on non-urgent treatment, a shortage of radiographers and a reduction in people coming forward for tests are said to have affected scans across England. Teams at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust performed more than 40,000 fewer imaging scans between March last year and February in comparison to the same period in 2019-20, NHS figures show.
Thousands of people in Essex missed out on potentially life-saving scans when non-Covid NHS services ground to a halt during the pandemic. Analysis of official figures by the BBC Shared Data Unit has found that at least 136,970 fewer diagnostic imaging scans were carried out across the area between April and September this year, compared to the same period in 2019. However, as figures are only available for two of the five NHS trusts in Essex and exclude private hospitals, the true number of people missing out on scans is likely far higher. Across NHS trusts in the area that had data available, 263,325 scans were performed in the first six months of the pandemic – a drop of 34 per cent from the 400,295 that took place the year before.
Scots waiting weeks for life-saving scans as non-Covid NHS services grind to a halt
Health boards across Scotland are failing to offer patients vital diagnostic scans within the maximum six-week waiting period imposed by ministers.
Updated
Thousands of patients are waiting longer than six weeks for potentially life-saving scans
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