“No end in sight”for radiologist staffing crisis?

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Clinical Radiology UK Workforce Census 2016 Report1 makes for a disquieting read. Key findings include concerns that 8.5% of UK radiologist posts were vacant during 2016, of which 61% were unfilled for more than a year. As the vacant posts sat empty, the NHS spent an estimated £88 million for out-of-hours reporting of X-rays and scans. 

An increase in the need for scans is also highlighted in the report, with a rise of more than 30% in the number of CT and MRI scans in England from 2013 to 2016. This equates to three times more than the rate of workplace growth. The RCR noted that technological advances mean that these scans are more complex than ever before and take longer to interpret. 

With an ageing workforce, the high proportion of retirements versus new consultant numbers means the UK’s radiologist workforce will expand by just 1% year-on-year. The workforce report highlights the critical UK-wide problem of not have enough imaging doctors to fill hospital vacancies. Last year, just 3% of NHS imaging departments were able to report all their patient scans within normal working hours. The NHS spent nearly £88 m in 2016 paying for backlogs of radiology examinations to be reported - the report observes that the same amount could have paid for at least 1028 full time consultants.