How will NHS trusts address wide variations in timings?
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the wide variations in the time taken to analyse radiology scans and the results reported must be addressed as it could be affecting patient care, including extending waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
A CQC report found a huge variation in the deadlines each NHS trust set for reporting, with some trusts experiencing severe delays, creating significant backlogs.
The delays were found to be partly due to a shortage in radiologists, according to the report.
The lack of agreed standards across different NHS trusts in England was raised as a concern by the CQC, as such it has called for deadlines to be set across the country for reporting scan results.
Further information
Cancer Research UK: NHS scan delays must be addressed, says health regulator