A PATIENT was left frustrated after a 14-day wait for results of a chest X-ray at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Les Johnson, 54, of the Radford Street area in Darwen, acted on the advice of his doctor when he attended the hospital for a chest X-ray on August 10.

Mr Johnson has been prescribed medication, which has had no effect on the cough he has had for two months.

Mr Johnson, a salesman, said: "The X-ray took 10 minutes but takes 14 days to arrive, I don't understand it.

"I am at a loss to understand why my chest X-rays taken at the radiology department on August 10 take so long to arrive at my doctor's surgery which is no more than three miles away. "

Mr Johnson, who has been working since the age of 15, has contacted the hospital to enquire about his results from the 10th day of his wait.

He said: "I got through to the hospital switchboard on a number of occasions. I have been put through to the radiology department, only to be kept waiting for 20 minutes, for the phone line to go dead.

"It is really frustrating. If I'm ill I just want to know if anything is wrong. My cough is not any better but I'm becoming more and more concerned. People should not be left waiting this long, I just wonder how many other people this has happened to."

He added: "Whether an X-ray reveals nothing you still become anxious and frustrated by the wait."

Val Bertenshaw, divisional director of diagnostic services for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We normally ask patients to check with their GP for their results within 10 working days of having their X-ray.

"Urgent X-rays are reported on much sooner than this.

"I do apologise to Mr Johnson for the delay and would like to inform him that the results have now been faxed to his GP."