More referrals lead to five-month MRI waiting list

10-fold increase in MRIs since introduction in 2003

More referrals are behind the Island's five-month waiting list for a routine MRI scan.

That's according to Health Minister David Ashford after the latest waiting times were published in response to a Freedom of Information request.

In 2015, the average time to wait for a routine appointment was 12 weeks, while NHS England typically takes six weeks to deal with such cases.

Urgent referrals currently take four to six weeks to be dealt with.

Mr Ashford says there's been a 10-fold increase in demand for routine scans since the Island first started offering MRIs.