The response to the U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) to the 10-year National Health Service plan has given priority to investment in training and increasing workforce numbers.
“Our main ask for the 10-year workforce plan is that it commits to expanding the clinical radiology and clinical oncology workforces. Moreover, it must state explicitly how many additional radiologists and oncologists will be trained over the next decade,” the RCR stated.
The RCR noted that economic modeling findings it had shared with the U.K. government demonstrated that investment in specialty training would save the NHS “from £85 million [€96.5 million] to £385 million [€437 million] after a decade,” in comparison to outsourcing and global recruitment.
Along with prioritizing training and investment, other key priorities the RCR submitted on the plan include investment specifically in interventional radiology, managing demand for imaging services through comprehensive workforce planning and implementing the iRefer clinical decision-support tool, reforming multidisciplinary team meetings, and valuing and empowering medical leadership.
In addition, the RCR underscored in its response the increased role of AI in assisting doctors; however, “it will never be able to replace the expertise and skill of our members,” the college wrote.
The 10-year workforce plan is expected to be published in spring 2026.
Read the RCR’s full recommendations here.
