Patients at Airedale Hospital are having to wait longer for an MRI scan due to a shortage of funds.

The Steeton hospital trust says a lack of cash is creating a backlog for its Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner as it cannot afford to increase the number of sessions.

Concerns the scanner would lie idle for most of the week were voiced by chief executive Bob Allen in May, last year.

A Keighley patient, who doesn't wish to be named, contacted the Keighley News after he was told he would have to wait another 15-weeks for a scan.

He said: "I have had some hip pain and in June, last year, I was referred by my GP to a consultant at Airedale Hospital, who in turn referred me to the X-ray department for an MRI scan. I asked how long the waiting list was and was told that it would be 42 weeks.

"Having waited 54 weeks I went back to X-ray and a radiologist spoke to someone from the scanner department who said the waiting list had increased to 69 weeks."

The MRI service provided by Airedale NHS Trust is currently limited to three four-hour sessions a week.

The service was provided by a mobile unit until last November when the trust was able to purchase a fixed site MRI scanner.

Trust chiefs hoped the new unit would enable it to increase the number of sessions to meet ever-increasing demands for high-tech diagnosis, but a lack of cash to run it has been the main stumbling block.

Deputy chief executive Janet Crouch, pictured, said: "Unfortunately, in spite of having this additional capacity, the Airedale health economy has been unable to find sufficient funding to increase the amount of time that MRI is available.

"Because the service is limited, we do treat our patients in order of their need and those who are critically ill are seen more quickly.

"This does have the effect that those patients who we recognise still have serious conditions, but who are less critical, are having to wait for a long period of time before being seen.

"This is a very difficult position and it not only has an effect on our patients, but also on our staff in the radiology department who are doing their utmost to provide an MRI service for our patients.

"The trust is working closely with the primary care trusts to identify the additional funding needed to increase the number of sessions the scanner is available, and will be making every effort to reduce the current, unacceptable, waiting times."

Airedale Community Health Council chief officer John Godward, said: "We are aware of the fact that there is a long waiting list but a wait of that length of time is excessive and unacceptable and alternative arrangements should have been made.

"It should have been possible for the patient to be transferred to Bradford for a scan."