The waiting list for tests at Wigan's hospitals has been slashed by a third in just 12 months

The waiting list for important diagnostic tests at Wigan’s hospitals has reduced by more than a third in just 12 months, new data has revealed.

It follows the opening of new facilities, including a £3.7m state-of-the-art diagnostics area and the Andrew Foster endoscopy unit, at Wigan Infirmary this year, which aim to provide quicker access to vital tests and diagnoses.

New figures from NHS England reveal 9,372 people were waiting for one of 15 standard tests at the end of August, which was up 7.8 per cent from 8,690 in July but down a massive 35.4 per cent from 14,501 in August 2025.

Of those, 1,641 people have been waiting for more than six weeks (17.5 per cent) and 538 for more than 13 weeks (5.7 per cent).

Twelve months earlier, 5,598 patients had been waiting for more than six weeks (38.6 per cent) and 896 for 13 weeks (6.2 per cent).

The most in-demand test in August was the non-obstetric ultrasound, with 2,919 patients on the waiting list, followed by MRI (2,188) and echocardiography (1,216).

A total of 8,740 waiting list tests were carried out in August, along with 1,114 planned tests and 3,777 unscheduled tests.

Separate NHS England data shows there were 46,291 people waiting for an elective operation or procedure at the end of August, up 1.2 per cent from 45,733 the month before.

But it was still 6.2 per cent down on the 49,337 people who were on the waiting list at the end of August 2025.

Nationally, the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England rose for the second consecutive month, from 6.21m patients in July to 6.24m in August.

The average waiting time for WWL patients was 13.6 weeks at the end of August, compared to 13.4 at the end of July and 15.1 the year before.

A total of 1,106 people had been waiting for more than a year - up slightly from 1,100 in July but down from 1,881 in August 2025.

WWL chief operating officer Sarah Brennan said:

“We are pleased to see such a significant year-on-year reduction in the number of patients waiting for diagnostic tests. This reflects the hard work of our teams and continued investment in increasing capacity and improving patient pathways.

“Our £3.7m Diagnostic Hub at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary and the Andrew Foster Endoscopy Unit are providing greater access to essential tests, alongside work to maximise our existing capacity through clinical triage, streamlined outpatient appointments and additional diagnostic sessions.

“While this year-on-year progress is encouraging, we recognise there are still too many people waiting longer than we would like and there was an increase in the diagnostic waiting list during August.

“Reducing waiting times for both diagnostics and planned treatment remains a priority, and we will continue working to make the best possible use of our capacity and resources, so patients receive the care they need as quickly and safely as possible.”

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