The number of NHS patients waiting six weeks or more for referrals has been increasing, quarterly NHS Diagnostics data has shown.
Numbers waiting have increased by 1,500 from December 2012 to January yet the statistics show a small fall of 700 year-on-year compared to January 2012.
Those waiting for six weeks or more for a referral now total 8,308 and represent 1.3% of all patients waiting.
This compares to 1.1% at the end of December 2012 and 1.5% at the end of January 2012.
Diagnostics data is collected from NHS providers and signed off by commissioners (Primary Care Trusts).
The data measures current waiting times of patient still waiting at the end of the month. This information is split by number of weeks waiting, and by test.
The waiting times reported are for those patients who have been referred for a test, but whose test had not taken place by the end of the reporting period.
