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 . 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 the Coalition took over . The figures cover 15 of the most important NHS tests , including seven that detect cancers and others for heart disease . The number of NHS patients waiting longer than six weeks for crucial medical tests including Cancer has hit a record high . Just under 14,000 patients waited longer than six weeks for one of the key cancer tests . 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 they should for CT scans – up from 215 five years ago . Just under 2,904 patients in January waited too long for ultrasound tests - not including pregnant women – up from 291 in 2010 . Four crucial endoscopy tests that detect bowel and stomach cancers have also seen a huge spike in patients waiting longer than six weeks . Some 6,978 patients in January waited too long for one of the tests – up from 976 in May 2010 . A Labour Government will guarantee that NHS patients in England will wait no longer than one week for cancer tests and results by 2020 . In 2014 , 20,775 patients who were diagnosed with cancer waited for than 62 days to begin treatment . Labour 's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said the figures showed David Cameron had 'damaged the care that Cancer patients are receiving ' Andy Burnham , Labour 's Shadow Health Secretary , said the figures were 'damning evidence ' of the Government 's failure on NHS waiting lists . Mr Burnham said : 'He has presided over a major cut in the cancer budget in this Parliament and this has damaged the care that cancer patients are receiving . 'All the gains that Labour made have been lost and the NHS is heading in the wrong direction . Thousands of families are waiting too long for tests , facing all the anxiety that means , and cancer is being diagnosed at a later stage where treatment is less likely to be successful . 'That 's why Labour will guarantee a maximum one-week wait for cancer tests . 'The NHS as we know it ca n't survive five more years of the Tories . Families struggling with cancer ca n't take the risk and , despite all the warnings , persisted with an NHS reorganisation that disrupted cancer services . '
15 patients waited longer than six weeks to take NHS tests in January . This is more than five times higher than May 2010 when Coalition took over . Figures cover 18,740 of most important tests , including seven detecting cancer .