The Department of Health says it is aware that wait times for non-urgent MRIs in the province exceed recommended benchmarks, and it has asked the health authority to review the need for another MRI to help reduce wait times.

VOCM News has been contacted by a number of people who have received notification that their non-urgent MRI is scheduled for 2026.

NL Health Services say the average wait time to get an MRI ranges from 17 weeks to more than a year.

The department says it is working with the health authority to increase the operating hours for MRI services, while some patients are willing to travel to other sites where there are shorter wait times.

There are five MRI scanners in the province with another scanner expected for the new hospital in Corner Brook.

The department has asked the health authority to review the need to an additional machine.