JENNI MURRAY: The unseen heroes who hold the key to fixing our broken NHS By Jenni Murray Published: 12:01, 18 July 2024 | Updated: 12:12, 18 July 2024 e-mail View comments When I had breast cancer , I got to know the surgeon who performed my mastectomy and made sure he knew how much I appreciated his efforts. But I realised recently that I have no idea who correctly analysed the CAT scan which revealed the size of my cancer and its type. I doubt many of us know much about the process of getting a vital diagnosis.
We know about surgeons and chest specialists — all those who are in the front line, meeting us face to face — but we don’t consider the highly qualified doctors we’re unlikely ever to meet, but on whose skill our lives depend. They’re called radiologists – and they’re in my thoughts now, as the waiting list for crucial diagnostic tests reaches a record high of 1,658,221 in England, twice what it was ten years ago. Radiologists are in my thoughts now, as the waiting list for crucial diagnostic tests reaches a record high of 1,658,221 in England, writes Jenni Murray None of us has needed the new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting , to tell us the NHS is broken.
We know how hard it is to get past the first step of seeking treatment for something that’s worrying us. GP appointments are like gold dust and that’s the only place to start. The GP might decide, eventually, to send us to a specialist who’ll order tests, and then comes another nightmare.
B eca.
