Recruitment to NHS scans is stalling and cancer units are ‘putting patient care at risk’, radiologists have warned

NHS scan recruitment is stalling and cancer units are putting patients at risk, the Royal College of Radiologists has warned.

The council said NHS trusts are not filling vacancies in a bid to save money, but this is undermining efforts to reduce waiting times and detect cancer early.

Others have been frozen by national NHS bodies, preventing them from taking on new trainees, consultants or other specialist doctors, the RCR said.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer laid out plans to reduce the NHS waiting list and improve the availability of scans such as MRIs, colonoscopies and bone scans.

However, the RCR said preliminary data from the workforce census – which will be published in full in June – shows that more than a fifth of NHS trusts in England and the UK have imposed a hiring freeze.

Around 24 per cent of cancer center service heads said consultant recruitment freezes were taking place in their NHS trust, while 19 per cent of radiology clinical directors said the same.

The RCR said Britain is already facing a serious shortage of specialists, with 1,962 fewer consultant radiologists and 185 fewer clinical oncologists than needed.

These shortcomings are the “key factor” behind the “continued failure” to meet targets for cancer waiting times and delays in reporting scan results, the report said.

A rapid diagnosis is especially important in cancer. Research shows that a month’s delay before starting treatment increases the risk of death by 10 percent.

Although the NHS has a target for every scan to be reported within a month, the RCR says more than 420,000 scans took more than a month to report in the first half of 2024 alone.

A lack of staff is also driving up costs for the NHS, meaning demand must be managed through locums and outsourcing to private companies, the report said.

The RCR calculates that the national outsourcing bill is £276 million, which would pay the salaries of 2,690 consultants.

Dr. Katharine Halliday, chair of the RCR, said: ‘Recruitment freezes are a false economy, and it is patients who will pay the price.

‘We are facing serious staff shortages and rising demand, so all these freezes will achieve is force departments to spend more on expensive alternatives.

‘We urge the Government to ensure our cancer and diagnostic services can recruit the staff they need.’

The College also warned that newly trained consultants could struggle to find employment.

In 2024, the number of funded vacancies for consultant radiologists fell from 518 to just 152. In 2023 there were 84 funded vacancies for clinical oncologists, but this fell to 59 in 2024.

This means that newly trained radiologists and oncologists without consultant posts are being forced to apply for locum jobs, move abroad or leave the NHS altogether.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We know trusts are under pressure, which is why we announced a £26 billion investment in healthcare at the Budget to help build a healthcare system that is fit for purpose. the future, with the staff it must ensure that patients are seen on time.

‘This summer we will publish a renewed staffing plan to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, where and when they need it. We engage with different stakeholders to reflect their needs.

‘Our National Cancer Plan will also highlight how we plan to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster so that more patients survive.’

The RCR survey is based on a response rate of 94 percent from radiology directors and 92 percent from cancer center service chiefs.

The analysis shows that the East Midlands and the East of England are particularly affected, with 40 per cent and 27 per cent of trusts in these regions facing a hiring freeze.

These areas already faced radiological staff shortages of 36 percent and 33 percent in 2023, the RCR said.