Health

Recruitment Freezes in NHS Scanning and Cancer Departments Threaten Patient Safety, Warns Royal College of Radiologists

January, 18, 2025-02:49

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin | Visits: 37781 | :2821

---

Recruitment Freezes in NHS Scanning and Cancer Departments Threaten Patient Safety, Warns Royal College of Radiologists

Recruitment freezes in the NHS's scanning and cancer departments pose a significant risk to patient safety, according to a warning from the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
The College has indicated that NHS trusts are refraining from filling vacancies as a cost-saving measure, which undermines efforts to reduce waiting times and facilitate early cancer detection. Additionally, some trusts have been subjected to hiring freezes imposed by national NHS authorities, restricting their ability to recruit new trainees, consultants, or other specialist physicians.

Recently, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined initiatives aimed at reducing NHS waiting lists and enhancing the availability of diagnostic scans, including MRIs, colonoscopies, and bone scans.
Nevertheless, the RCR has reported preliminary findings from its workforce census, set to be fully released in June, revealing that over 20% of NHS trusts in England and the UK have implemented recruitment freezes. Specifically, 24% of heads of service at cancer centers noted that consultant recruitment freezes are occurring within their trusts, while 19% of clinical directors in radiology departments reported similar situations.

The RCR emphasized that the UK is already experiencing a critical shortage of specialists, with 1,962 fewer consultant radiologists and 185 fewer clinical oncologists than required. These deficiencies are identified as the primary reason for the ongoing inability to meet cancer waiting time targets and delays in scan result reporting. Timely diagnosis is crucial in cancer care, as research indicates that a one-month delay in initiating treatment can increase the risk of mortality by 10%.
The RCR further stated that although the NHS aims for all scans to be reported within a month, over 420,000 scans in the first half of 2024 alone exceeded this timeframe. The staffing shortages are also contributing to escalating costs for the NHS, necessitating the management of demand through locum services and outsourcing to private entities. The RCR estimates that the national outsourcing expenditure amounts to £276 million, a sum sufficient to cover the salaries of 2,690 consultants.