A report released on 11 November by National Health Service (NHS) England stated that in September 2021, more than 192,000 patients had been waiting six weeks or more for a CT, MRI, or ultrasound scan. In February 2020, the number was 11,338.
The report also said radiology departments have succeeded in bringing down long waits from the record highs of summer 2020, caused by the pause in nonurgent hospital work. However, the number of patients waiting more than 13 weeks for the same scans is now 50,348, compared with 1,636 in February 2020, the authors wrote.
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has issued a response, expressing concern and calling for a concerted high-level commitment from the NHS and government officials to address radiology workforce issues, including sustainable investment in more radiologists, radiographers, and imaging support staff, as well as increasing global recruitment.
