Around 31,446 fewer heart ultrasound tests were carried out in the north west after lockdown began, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Latest NHS England data shows the number of completed echocardiograms in Warrington fell by 62 per cent across April and May compared to February this year.

In February, 668 scans were completed while in April this dropped to 190 and May rose to 316.

Echocardiograms, also known as echo tests, are ultrasound scans that enable doctors to diagnose, give a prognosis, and determine follow-up treatment for a range of heart conditions, such as heart valve disease, and heart failure.

The figures show the considerable impact the pandemic has had on patient treatment and care.

Only 14,714 echo tests were carried out in April and May this year, compared to 46,160 completed in the same months last year.

The BHF says heart patients have been hit doubly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Long waits for tests like echocardiograms could lead to more deaths from undiagnosed heart conditions. At the same time, people living with heart and circulatory disease are more likely to develop complications from Covid-19.

As the number of completed echo tests has fallen, patients have been waiting longer for these tests due to a fall in GP referrals and the temporary pausing of cardiology services for all but the most urgent cases.

By the end of May this year, around 62 per cent of people referred for an echo had been on the waiting list for six or more weeks, compared to just three per cent at the end of February.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the BHF and consultant cardiologist, said: “Heart patients have been hit doubly hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Not only are they at greater risk of complications from Covid-19, but they have also faced delays to vital treatment and care.

“Echocardiograms and other tests are used to diagnose and monitor a range of heart and circulatory conditions and are often among the first steps in someone’s treatment journey. Delaying them could have a devastating knock-on effect on the rest of their care, preventing them from accessing the specialist treatments they may desperately need in time.

"Ultimately, this could lead to patients becoming sicker as they await care and, ultimately, more deaths.

“The NHS is now facing a cliff edge as it contends with resuming services and tackling a significant and growing backlog of treatment, all while continuing to fight Covid-19.

"These challenges are great, but they are not insurmountable. Restoring and maintaining care for patients living with long-term conditions, such as heart and circulatory diseases, must now become a priority.”

An NHS spokesperson said: "Despite responding rapidly to the coronavirus pandemic and the need to ensure more than 100,000 patients could receive hospital care, NHS staff also provided more than five million urgent tests, checks and treatment in a safe way during the peak of the virus.

"The overall waiting list has fallen by more than half a million since the onset of Covid, but as more patients come forward local health services continue work to expand services safely."