More than 46,000 people waiting for a diagnostic test or non-urgent operation in March

NHS England figures show 12,598 patients were waiting for one of 12 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy at this time.

Of them, 358 (3%) had been waiting for at least six weeks.

Across England, 1.6 million patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in March – the same as in February.

Saoirse Mallorie, senior analyst at the King’s Fund, a health charity, said: "This is yet another month of worrying statistics that show people not getting the standard of care they need, and yet another month waiting for the oft-promised and long-overdue workforce plan, which must have funding to underpin it."

Separate figures from NHS England show of 131 patients urgently referred by the NHS who were treated at Northumbria Healthcare in March, 99 were receiving cancer treatment within two months of their referral.

A month previously – when 100 patients were referred – 70 were treated within 62 days.

In March 2022, 102 patients were treated within this period, out of 121 that were referred.

Other figures show 33,834 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust at the end of March – up slightly from 33,508 in February, and 30,599 in March last year.

The median waiting time from referral to treatment at Northumbria Healthcare was nine weeks at the end of March – down from 10 weeks in February.