NHS expect waiting lists for diagnosis tests to reduce in Lincolnshire
The NHS says waiting lists for diagnosis tests are expected to reduce after latest figures showed 40 percent of patients in Lincolnshire were still hanging on after six weeks.
A further 22 percent of patients have been waiting for more than 13 weeks according to the latest information for published on NHS England.
In total, in April there were 1,547,000 people on waiting lists in NHS Lincolnshire CCG’s care, with 439,306 people waiting for six-plus weeks and 151,896 waiting 13-plus weeks.
The data shows that the highest six-week waits were for cardiology – echocardiography (78.5 percent), urodynamics – pressure and flows (71.1%) and respiratory physiology – sleep studies (47.8percent).
A spokesperson for NHS Lincolnshire CCG said: “We do expect waits to be reduced in the future.
“We think the increase was due to a number of factors, including Covid still having an impact, the fire at Lincoln County Hospital at the end of March, and also an increase in demand for imaging tests.”
In May, the CCG opened its first Clinical Diagnosis Centre – a facility designed to take patients away from hospital in a bid to reduce pressure – in Grantham.
It is now consulting on plans for a second facility in Lincoln, Louth or Boston in a bid to access areas of deprivation – particularly on the coast.
Last week, councillors on Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee voted by a majority to support the Boston bid, though some would have preferred Louth.
CCG staff giving the presentation also said they would prefer Boston, but said they would listen to residents’ comments.
The CDCs are part of a five-year plan to expand the diagnostic service with hopes that it would offer new roles and development opportunities, deliver health promotion, contribute to NHS Net Zero ambitions.
The hope is that patients referred to the facilities could have co-ordinated tests on the same day, while the facilities would have digital infrastructure to share data.
