The shortages of NHS radiologists will rise from 30 to 40 per cent by 2028 , top doctors have warned amid reports of worsening delays in patients getting life-saving treatment. The drastic shortfall will paralyse the system if no action is taken to retain doctors and recruit more, The Royal College of Radiologists said. In a new survey of doctors, nearly half - 47 per cent - of those working in cancer centres said they saw weekly delays last year– up from 28 per cent the year before.
Reported delays in radiotherapy are also worsening, with 43 per cent of clinicians reporting weekly delays in 2023 – up from 22 per cent in 2022. The report comes as a new analysis from Cancer Research UK found more than 380,000 cancer patients have not been treated on time since 2015. Dr Katharine Halliday, RCR president, said: “The crisis in the radiology and oncology workforce is jeopardising patients’ health.
“We simply do not have enough doctors to manage the increasing number of patients safely, and this problem will only worsen as demand continues to rise and more doctors leave the NHS. “The immense strain on an overburdened system, coupled with exhausted staff, and increasing demand, creates a toxic cocktail for our NHS.” According to the RCR, the NHS currently needs 30 per cent more clinical radiologists and 15 per cent more clinical oncologists.
It warned demand for specialist cancer treatment was outstripping the workforce by 6-8 per cent last year while the number of con.
