Cancer patients 'deteriorating' due to staff shortages, radiologists warn — SkimNews
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- Royal College of Radiologists said NHS Wales was 88 radiologists short of the workforce it needed, a 28% shortfall, and reported for the first time seeing some patients’ conditions “deteriorating” while they waited for diagnostic scans and tests.
- Wales had a 42% consultant-radiologist shortfall in north and west Wales versus 22% in south Wales; its radiology workforce grew 1.1% in 2024 against the UK average of 5%, while recruitment freezes affected more radiology departments than anywhere in the UK.
- Beverly Scott, diagnosed with ovarian and peritoneal cancer 14 years ago, said continual treatment was keeping her stable but delays in scans could let the cancer spread further and stop treatment working.
- Karen Jones, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and later colon cancer before her breast cancer returned in 2021, called waiting for results “terrible, horrific and horrendous” and “total limbo.”
- Owen Nicholas said clinicians sometimes could not tell anxious patients whether treatment had worked or cancer had returned because scan reports were missing, and sometimes had to cancel appointments.
- Betsi Cadwaladr said a third-party provider helped reduce waiting times for scans and results since April despite a substantial increase in demand, while it continued recruiting in radiology and oncology.
- Clara Day said Betsi Cadwaladr’s oncology strategy had developed nurse-led clinics and introduced colorectal and breast metastatic nurse specialist teams, while the board prioritized patients by clinical need and was strengthening links with North Wales Medical School.
Why it matters: With NHS Wales 88 radiologists below need, cancer patients face delayed scans while clinicians can lack the reports needed to assess treatment. Betsi Cadwaladr’s third-party provider has reduced waits since April, but that local gain contrasts with a radiology workforce that grew just 1.1% in 2024 versus 5% across the UK.
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