article_snippet: The number of NHS patients waiting longer than six weeks for crucial medical tests including Cancer has hit a record high, official figures revealed this morning.
article_snippet: Some 18,740 patients had to wait longer than six weeks to take cancer and other tests in January – more than five times higher than in May 2010 when Coalition took over.
article_snippet: The number of NHS patients waiting longer than six weeks for crucial medical tests including cancer has hit a record high .
article_snippet: Just under 14,000 patients waited longer than six weeks for one of the key cancer tests.
article_snippet: Some 2,954 patients waited too long for MRI scans, compared to 374 in May 2010, with a further 1,125 patients were forced to wait longer than Some 2,954 patients should for CT scans – up from 215 five years ago.
article_snippet: Just under 2,904 patients in January waited too long for ultrasound tests - not including pregnant women – up from 291 in 2010.
article_snippet: Four crucial endoscopy tests that detect bowel and stomach cancers have also seen a huge spike in patients waiting longer than six weeks.
article_snippet: Some 6,978 patients in January waited too long for one of the key cancer tests – up from 976 in May 2010.
article_snippet: A Labour Government will guarantee that NHS patients in England will wait no longer than one week for cancer tests and results by 2020.
article_snippet: In 2014, 20,775 patients who were diagnosed with Cancer waited for than 62 days to begin treatment.
article_snippet: That's why Labour will guarantee a maximum one-week wait for cancer tests. '
highlights_snippet: 18,740 patients waited longer than six weeks to take NHS tests in January .
  