Many patients in the U.K. are still waiting over a month for results from their medical imaging exams, according to a new report issued by the U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
The report found that some 230,000 patients are forced to wait more than a month for the results of their imaging tests. Of these, 12,000 are waiting for results from CT or MRI scans.
The report is based on surveys performed in February 2016 at 126 of 155 National Health Service (NHS) trusts in England. The survey asked clinical directors of NHS radiology departments how many x-ray, CT, and MRI studies in their PACS were going unreported for more than 31 days.
The findings come as NHS trusts are spending more money on what the RCR calls "costly and inefficient" outsourcing to plug personnel gaps. Extra spending on radiology reporting rose by 50% from 2014 to 2015, from 47 million pounds (61.9 million euros) to 73.8 million pounds (97.2 million euros).
The RCR points out the money would pay for 900 extra radiologists
