Patients in Cheshire and Merseyside are having their health conditions diagnosed more quickly than in almost any other part of the country.

Cheshire and Merseyside was the first, and is currently one of only three (of 42) Integrated Care Systems to be re-achieving (post-COVID) the waiting list target for 90 per cent of patients to receive a diagnostic test within six weeks.

This target encompasses 15 key test areas – many linked to cancer diagnosis – including CT and MRI scans, colonoscopy and gastroscopy.

Liz Bishop, senior responsible officer of Cheshire and Merseyside Diagnostics, said: “Our progress in driving down waiting times is due to numerous factors including increased activity within our network of Community Diagnostic Centres, the collective attitude of all providers to work together to always do what is best for patients and the endless commitment of staff.

“While the current results show excellent progress and are heading in the right direction, we know there is still more to do.

"Our focus this year will be to ensure that even more patients receive their test within six weeks and that the time it takes for results to become available to patients is significantly reduced. We will continue to focus on driving up productivity - including by investing in new equipment, buildings and innovative technology.”

Programme director Tracey Cole agreed: “This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our diagnostic staff and services in Cheshire and Merseyside and for the support provided by our networks – endoscopy, pathology, imaging, community diagnostics centres and physiological measurements – along with the diagnostic programme and provider collaborative that oversees them.”

A total of 95 per cent of all patient pathways require a diagnostic test, so it is vital that patients are able to receive diagnostic tests as quickly as possible.

Shorter waiting times mean patients receive test results sooner and help to ensure that they receive the correct treatment as quickly as possible – leading to better outcomes.

Stacy, a Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance Patient Representative, was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024.

She said: “I was told I had stage 4 cancer and everything after that felt like a bit of a whirlwind. I went for a PET scan so the extent of the cancer could be determined and my team at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust explained what all the tests had shown and helped to create a treatment plan for me.

"Part of this plan is keeping regular checks on me, my health and the cancer. I go for bloods once a month to make sure my lifesaving treatment isn’t hurting another part of my body.

"The results come the next day direct from my treatment team so I quickly get a chance to talk to a nurse about concerns I have.”

Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, medical director at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the hard work that has gone into ensuring residents across Cheshire and Merseyside can easily access important diagnostic services, which help patients to be seen and treated earlier, much closer to home.”