Nearly 7,000 patients across Northern Ireland are waiting for scans to find out if they have potentially life-threatening conditions such as cancer, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today.

It is understood some patients are waiting months for a scan.

DUP MP Iris Robinson, who raised the issue in the House of Commons, is today demanding action.

All of the patients are waiting for MRI scans.

These are powerful scanning machines which can show up muscle and bone injuries, as well as detect life-threatening conditions such as cancer.

They are used when X-rays and CT scans fail to show the full extent of a problem.

Latest statistics show that 2,351 patients are waiting for an MRI at Ulster's biggest hospital, the Royal Victoria, while 1,277 people need bone scans at Musgrave Park Hospital.

Mrs Robinson said: "Recent statistics that the Health Minister has provided me with reveal that 6,918 people are waiting for MRI scans at hospitals in the province.

"The Department of Health is currently unable, however, to provide information regarding the length of times that individuals are being forced to wait.

"MRI scans are conducted by seven trusts in the province, the numbers performed last year varied between 6,831 within Green Park Trust (Musgrave Park Hospital) and 2,397 at United Hospitals Trust (Antrim)."

In reply to a written parliamentary question from Mrs Robinson, Health Minister Paul Goggins said: "The Department's service delivery unit recently carried out a survey to establish baseline information on waiting times in radiology, including MRI scans, in trusts across Northern Ireland.

"Building on this survey, it is intended to introduce weekly monitoring of radiology waiting lists and times across all trusts. It is envisaged that this will be in place early in 2007.

Mrs Robinson said she had been pressing for "accurate" figures for radiological investigations to be maintained.

"This will illustrate where the longest delays are and hopefully lead to remedying actions being taken at an earlier stage.

"There is also undoubted value in patients having a greater understanding of the likely period they will have to wait."

The Department of Health has also made in-roads into reducing hospital waiting lists.

Latest figures from the end of September showed that more than 400 patients have been added to hospital waiting lists in just three months.

But patients face shorter waiting times to get treatment.

The statistics showed 40,707 patients were on Northern Ireland's in-patient waiting list at the end of September.

That is an increase of 422 from the end of June.

However, 6,237 fewer patients are on the list compared to this time last year.