Average wait of 14 weeks for a scan

Old equipment, staff shortages and "nine-to-five" services in many radiology departments are leading to excessive delays for patients.

An Audit Commission report said long waits for radiology were leading to bottle-necks and slowing treatment. About 250,000 people are waiting for ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, with respective waits of eight and 20 weeks on average.

The commission said the delays were partly due to greater demand for complicated treatments but booking systems were often not integrated and old equipment with limited capacity was often used. Only 59 per cent of NHS equipment is less than seven years old – the maximum age recommended by the Royal College of Radiologists.

Some departments did not have enough staff to meet demand for round-the-clock services. Many offered only minimal emergency cover.

Sir Andrew Foster, controller of the Audit Commission, said: "Some radiology services are creating a bottleneck in the system and delaying patient care."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said 101 new scanners had been introduced.