18 Dec 2020 There were at least 4.4 million fewer scans between April and September, many of which could have been life-saving, after the National Health Service (NHS) was told in March to cancel all non-essential appointments because of the Chinese coronavirus. Analysis conducted by the BBC found that ultrasounds and CT and MRI scans fell by one-third during that period. NHS England also admitted that the backlog for services is so great that one-in-seven people waiting for a scan have been on the list for more than three months. Cancer Research UK warns that the delays could mean more people presenting to medical services in a worse condition than they would have had they been allowed to seek treatment earlier.