Latest news with #RoyalCollegeofRadiologists
Medscape
4 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Radiology Workforce Shortages Impacting Cancer Care
A chronic shortage of radiologists and oncologists is putting patients in the UK at risk, a new report found. The annual workforce census by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) warned that the safe delivery of NHS cancer care is becoming 'increasingly impossible' due to an escalating shortfall of doctors coupled with rising demand for care. In 2024, the UK had a 29% shortfall of clinical radiologists, with regional gaps ranging from 25% in Scotland to 32% in Wales. The workforce grew by 4.7% that year — less than in 2023, when it increased by 6.3%. The college forecasts the radiologist shortfall will reach 39% by 2029. Oncology Under Strain Clinical oncologists are also in short supply, with a current 15% gap expected to rise to 19% by 2029. This is despite a 5.4% increase in the workforce in 2024—the strongest growth since 2018. The RCR reported that 23% of cancer centres were experiencing recruitment freezes, making it harder to meet growing demand. Demand Continues to Outpace Capacity The shortages threaten the government's plans to cut waiting times and improve cancer outcomes. In 2024, demand for computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grew by 8%, but workforce growth did not keep pace. Every radiology leader surveyed last year reported delays to diagnostic scans caused by staff shortages. Nine in 10 radiology team leaders reported that patients were waiting longer to start treatment, while seven in 10 expressed concern that staff shortages were putting patient safety at risk – down slightly from 85% in 2023. Chronic problems such as workforce shortages, reporting backlogs, and staff vacancies remain too high, according to Dr Robin Proctor, the RCR's m edical director responsible for professional practice and clinical radiology. Consultants Leaving Earlier Staff retention is worsening, with experienced consultants leaving the NHS at younger ages. In 2024, the median age of consultant clinical radiologists leaving the NHS workforce was 50 – down from 56 in 2020. Four in five (79%) of leavers were under 60, and two in five (42%) were under 45. Clinical oncologists followed a similar trend. Their median exit age dropped to 54, from 57 in 2023 and 59 in 2022. Nearly 76% of leavers were under 60, and 26% were under 45. One consultant clinical oncologist told the college that delays in scans and treatment were resulting in missed or late cancer diagnoses. Some patients' conditions were deteriorating or reaching a stage where treatment was no longer possible. Changing Work Practices 'Working conditions and ways of working need to change if we are to address this problem and meet the growing demand for our expertise,' Proctor said. The RCR has called on the government to invest in training and recruitment. In 2024, the NHS spent an estimated £325 million on temporary radiology staff. The cost of outsourcing had doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic and had surged by almost a quarter in the past year. The RCR estimated that increasing radiology trainee numbers by 50% could eliminate three-quarters of the current shortfall and save the NHS £460 million over the next 10 years. 'Patients are being failed by a chronic lack of radiologists and oncologists,' said RCR president Dr Katharine Halliday. 'The longer we delay action, the worse it gets,' she added.
STV News
5 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Cancer care faces ‘ticking time bomb' because of staff shortages, doctors warn
Scottish cancer care faces a 'ticking time bomb' unless action is taken to recruit more radiologists and oncologists, doctors have warned. New reports from the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) show that Scotland currently has a 25% shortage of radiologists and a 19% shortage of oncologists, with these shortfalls expected to rise to 35% and 31% respectively by 2029. This is being driven, the reports say, by recruitment lagging behind a growing demand for services, and a 'retention crisis' that is seeing cancer doctors leaving the NHS at a younger age than ever before. The RCR said without action to boost staff numbers, patients will face lengthening waits for diagnosis and treatment, and the body warned that a cancer patient's risk of death can increase by 10% for every month treatment is delayed. Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR, said: 'Patients are being failed by a chronic lack of radiologists and oncologists. 'Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, there aren't enough doctors to ensure prompt, safe and effective care and the outlook is bleak. 'We are doing all we can to boost productivity, but there's a limit to how far we can go. The reality is we simply don't have enough staff. 'Any credible plan to cut waiting lists relies on having the headcount to meet the demand we face today, let alone tomorrow. 'The longer we delay action, the worse it gets. 'The Government must train up more radiologists and oncologists to defuse this ticking time bomb for cancer diagnosis and treatment.' The two RCR reports show the results of a 'workforce census' of clinical radiology and clinical oncology staff in 2024. They show regional disparities in staff shortages, with 34 radiologists currently needed to meet demand in the north of Scotland, whereas nine are needed in south-east Scotland. The north of Scotland is also expected to see a 43% shortfall in the number of oncologists by 2029, compared with 31% across Scotland as a whole. The reports also detail a 'retention crisis' among cancer specialists, with the median age of consultant clinical radiologists leaving the NHS standing at 38 in 2024, compared with 58 the year before. Seven in ten leavers last year were also under the age of 45. One consultant clinical oncologist quoted in the reports said staff shortfalls were placing a 'massive strain' on the workforce, and that they were 'eroding goodwill and morale'. Another described the current level of staffing as 'unsustainable', while another spoke of 'significant stress' among staff, with some having to take time off because of 'stress-related health issues'. A further oncologist is quoted as saying: 'Safe delivery of cancer treatment is becoming increasingly impossible.' The RCR pointed out that recruiting more staff would also save the NHS money, as it would curb the increasing reliance on costly 'short-term fixes' such as outsourcing and overtime. It said the £20m spent on 'temporary workforce solutions' in 2024 could fund 181 full-time radiologists – more than enough to fill the shortfall of 132 radiologists in Scotland. The body also pointed to analysis showing that an extra 180 radiology trainees each year (an increase of 50% on the current figure) would save the NHS £460m after 10 years. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We have been working across NHS Scotland to address staffing as a matter of urgency. 'We are supporting a dedicated group, reporting directly to Health Board chief executives, to find solutions to pressures on oncology services throughout Scotland. 'We are treating more patients with cancer on time, within both 62 and 31-day pathways, compared to pre-pandemic and ten years ago.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Hamilton by-election: Why we should always vote like our lives depend on it
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As voters prepare to elect a new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, a new report provided a timely reminder of what is at stake when we make our cross on a ballot paper. The Royal College of Radiologists has warned that there were too few radiologists last year to ensure 'safe and effective' care for cancer patients, whose risk of death can increase by 10 per cent for every month that treatment is delayed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Without action to recruit more doctors, Scotland's current 25 per cent shortfall of radiologists is set to rise to 35 per cent by 2029 and a 19 per cent shortfall of oncologists is expected to hit 31 per cent, the report warned. Catching and treating cancer quickly can save lives | Getty Images 'Ticking time bomb' Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the college, said: '... the outlook is bleak. We are doing all we can to boost productivity, but there's a limit to how far we can go. The reality is we simply don't have enough staff. Any credible plan to cut waiting lists relies on having the headcount to meet the demand we face today, let alone tomorrow. 'The longer we delay action, the worse it gets. The government must train up more radiologists and oncologists to defuse this ticking time bomb for cancer diagnosis and treatment.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is why Scotland needs politicians, both in government and in opposition, who are focussed, not on culture war issues of one kind or another, but on what are sometimes called 'bread and butter' issues. This is something of a misnomer given that they can be – as in the case of the NHS – matters of life and death. And of course, the potential number of doctors is linked to the quality of education in Scotland's schools and universities, and the provision of public funding for that education relies on the revenues created by a healthy economy.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
People with cancer face ‘ticking timebomb' due to NHS staff shortages
People with cancer face a 'ticking timebomb' of delays in getting diagnosed and treated because the NHS is too short-staffed to provide prompt care, senior doctors have warned. An NHS-wide shortage of radiologists and oncologists means patients are enduring long waits to have surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have a consultant review their care. Hold-ups lead to some people's cancer spreading, which can reduce the chances of their treatment working and increase the risk of death, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) said. NHS cancer services are struggling to keep up with rising demand for tests, such as scans and X-rays, and treatment, created by the growing number of people getting the disease. Evidence the RCR collected from the heads of NHS cancer centres across the UK and the clinical directors of radiology departments shows that delays to potentially 'life-saving' care occur because of 'chronic' workforce gaps. All radiology bosses surveyed said during 2024 their units could not scan all patients within the NHS's maximum waiting times because they did not have enough staff. 'Delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment will inevitably mean that for some patients their cancer will progress while they wait, making successful treatment more difficult and risking their survival,' said Dr Katharine Halliday, the RCR's president. The findings are particularly worrying because research has found that a patient's risk of death can increase by about 10% for each month they have to wait for treatment. Nine out of 10 cancer centre chiefs said patients were delayed starting their treatment last year while seven in 10 said they feared workforce gaps were putting patients' safety at risk. 'The government must train up more radiologists and oncologists to defuse this ticking timebomb for cancer diagnosis and treatment,' added Halliday. One head of a cancer service said patients with suspected bladder or prostate cancer had faced long waits to be tested, that more than 1,500 patients had to wait longer than they should for a follow-up appointment to review their treatment, and that staff were feeling 'burnt out'. Other doctors also said: 'Our waiting times for breast radiotherapy are now the worst I have ever known in 20 years.' 'Current wait for head and neck cancers [is] six weeks, meaning possible progression before radiotherapy.' 'A multiple week wait for palliative treatment has sometimes led to deterioration to the point is no longer possible.' Some cancer centres are so short-staffed that they are sending patients to be treated quicker at nearby hospitals under 'mutual aid' agreements, the RCR says in two reports published on Thursday. Radiologists and clinical oncologists face 'unsustainable' workloads, it adds. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The strain of working in overstretched cancer services is so great that doctors are quitting at younger ages, with some even doing so while still in their 30s, the RCR found. Genevieve Edwards, the chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: 'The disease is treatable and curable if diagnosed early, but too many patients are facing long delays to start their treatment after going to their GP with symptoms. These delays may lead to the cancer spreading, making it harder to treat successfully.' The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged that too many patients face delays. 'This government inherited a broken NHS where too many cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment but through our plan for change, we are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster,' a spokesperson said. 'We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5bn in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country, and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above inflation pay rises for the second year in a row. 'Later this year we will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places to deliver the care patients need.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
British public does not want AI to replace doctors, poll finds
The British public believes artificial intelligence (AI) should not replace NHS doctors, according to a new survey. More than four in 10 people are also unaware of how the technology is being used in healthcare, a report by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) found. There is a need for greater communication to increase confidence in AI and bolster acceptance for any future uses, the college said. The findings emphasise 'the importance of human oversight' when it comes to AI in healthcare, according to the report. The RCR survey of 1,021 British adults found 61% of people support its use to speed up processing images from CT and MRI scanners, while 59% back its use to analyse scans in real-time alongside human radiologists. However, only 18% of people said they would support AI performing surgery independently, while less than a quarter (22%) said they would back AI replacing specialist medics or cancer doctors. Some 39% said they would prefer radiologists to use AI as a supplementary tool when reading scans, while 36% supported AI models operating independently, but with a subsequent review by clinicians. Only 5% of people who responded backed the use of fully autonomous AI with no human input. Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR, said: 'Our research shows that people trust doctors and want them to oversee the use of AI in healthcare. 'In fact, AI tools are already used in over 60% of cancer centres and 70% of radiology departments, and the public feel confident about AI being used in this way. 'We need a national conversation on the use of AI in healthcare so that we bring people with us and reap the benefits for patient care.' AI is currently used across the NHS in England to help clinicians read X-rays and CT scans to free up staff time, as well as speeding up the diagnosis of strokes. Adults with suspected skin cancer may also be initially assessed with a new AI tool after it was approved for NHS use for the next three years by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged that the UK will be an 'AI superpower' and said the technology could be used to tackle NHS waiting lists. According to the report, the public's overall comfort levels with AI in healthcare 'remain moderate'. Some 40% said they are comfortable with the use of the technology in healthcare, which rose to 76% among people who were 'very familiar' with AI. However, among those unfamiliar with AI, only 3% said they were comfortable with its use in healthcare. The RCR survey found two thirds of people are aware of AI in general. However, this dropped 'considerably' when it came to the use of the technology in healthcare, with some 44% of people unaware of AI being used in this way. The RCR said 'this points to a need for greater communication' about the potential use of AI in the NHS 'to build confidence and acceptance for future uses'. Dr Halliday added: 'Though the public are largely unaware of how AI is being used in the NHS, they recognise its potential. 'Successfully harnessing AI will be crucial to tackle pressures on the health service – freeing up doctors and other healthcare staff to spend more time with patients.' Separate polling conducted by Ipsos exclusively for the PA news agency found people are more positive than negative about the uses of AI in healthcare. The survey of 1,094 adults in Britain found almost half think it will be beneficial for speeding up the diagnosis of diseases and administration processes (49%), as well as lightening the workload for NHS staff (48%). However, the public is divided on whether AI is more of an opportunity or a risk for the health service. Some 37% said they think it would more of an opportunity for the NHS overall compared to 31% who view it as much of an opportunity as a risk and 20% who said it is more of a risk.
