Almost 2,000 Hampshire patients waiting more than three months for medical tests

As the NHS continues to battle a backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a total of 1,978 Hampshire patients have been waiting months for important medical tests.

NHS trusts report waiting times for 15 key tests at the end of each month, which are used to diagnose a wide range of diseases and conditions, including heart failure, and hearing problems.

According to NHS rules, after someone is referred for one of the tests, they should have it completed within six weeks.

University Hospital Southampton

University Hospital Southampton

At University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS), 1,317 patients had been waiting at least 13 weeks at the end of January, NHS England data shows.

That was slightly down from the 1,343 patients who had experienced such severe delays in December.

UHS spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic University Hospital Southampton has, in line with NHS England guidelines, been ensuring that patients are prioritised according to clinical need. We have been doing this whilst also managing the risk of Covid-19 spreading in our hospitals which has meant introducing new ways of working that are in keeping with our robust infection prevention practice.

“Our response to Covid has also meant our staff have had to be redeployed to areas dealing with Covid-19 positive patients. This has sadly meant that some non-urgent treatments and diagnostics tests have had to be postponed.

“The country’s collective efforts in adhering to the guidance has meant that we now are seeing fewer patients being admitted to hospital which means we can treat people across our communities who need our care.

“Anyone who experiences symptoms or who feels they need advice should not hesitate to visit their GP or seek medical help.”

Royal Hampshire County Hospital

Royal Hampshire County Hospital

A total of 637 patients at the Hampshire Hospitals Trust (HHT) had been waiting at least 13 weeks at the end of January - fewer than the 717 patients who had experienced such severe delays in December.

Dr Lara Alloway, chief medical officer at HHT said that the Trust has continued to provide urgent investigations, procedures and cancer care, throughout the pandemic.

Dr Alloway said that Covid-19 has "brought its challenges and has caused unprecedented pressure across the NHS which has meant some patients have had to wait longer than usual for the next step in their care".

She added: "As the pressure of covid continues to ease, our focus is on restoring all our services and ensuring that patients who have had to wait are seen as soon as possible.

“Most of our staff which were redeployed to support other areas including critical care, have now returned to their previous roles and we are making real progress in restoring our services quickly and safely.

“We would also encourage everyone who has an appointment to keep this and we look forward to welcoming you. I’d like to thank the community for their support and patience and for continuing to do all they can to keep themselves and others safe.”

File photo dated 20/03/09 of the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Gosport, Hampshire. A long-awaited report into a series of suspicious deaths at a hospital is due to be published, as the Gosport Independent Panel will present the findings of its

Gosport War Memorial Hospital

As well as this, NHS England data shows 24 patients at the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust had been waiting longer than that at the end of January.

Southern Health confirmed to the Daily Echo that 23 out of the 24 breaches of waiting times were due to a DEXA scanner being broken, which is being assessed by an engineer. The DEXA scanner is used to scan bones.