Waiting times for the hospital's Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner are to be slashed with new staff and hours of opening.

Currently there is a six to eight week waiting list but urgent patients are seen the same day.

The hospital said the number of technicians are to be increased and hours of opening are to be extended to 12-hour days from Monday to Saturday.

The renovation of the MRI unit at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) is also set to boost capacity with more patients being prepared while other patients are being scanned.

Diagnostic imaging director Dr. Daniel Stovell said the main reason for the long waits is physicians are referring more patients than when MRIs were only available overseas.