The Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday announced funding of £22.6 billion for day-to-day NHS spending in a move welcomed by the SoR – but which it said does not address the “fundamental cause” of waiting lists.
Yesterday’s funding will support the delivery of 40,000 elective appointments each week, one of the core aims of the government in reducing waiting times.
While the decision has been welcomed as “very good news”, the SoR has emphasised that the only way to genuinely cut long waiting lists is a focus on recruitment and retention of radiographers, both diagnostic radiographers and therapeutic radiographers.
A further £1.5 billion has been allocated to new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners and beds across the NHS to create more treatment capacity, and £100 million has been earmarked to 200 GP estate upgrades.
Fixing the NHS and reforming public services
By focusing on repairing the public finances and restoring economic stability, the Budget aims to deliver a new settlement for public services, increasing day to day spending for public services by 3.3% on average in real terms over this year and next to fix the NHS, boost the education system and repair the criminal justice system.
The government has been clear from the start it will not tolerate wasteful spending. For the next financial year, all government departments have a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target that is expected to save billions of pounds.
On healthcare specifically, £70 million will be spent on new radiotherapy machines, alongside investments in new surgical hubs and scanners.
Richard Evans, chief executive officer of the Society of Radiographers, said: “This additional investment is very good news. Too many of our members are working with ageing and inefficient equipment, and this investment will help close the gap between the demand for treatment and the capacity to deliver.”
'Tech needs people'
The moves will create capacity for 1.25 million diagnostic tests per year. With almost a fifth (18.2 per cent) of NHS patients waiting more than six weeks to be seen by a member of the radiography workforce, the change could “mean the difference between life or death”.
Mr Evans added: “But the new investment – however welcome – must address the fundamental cause of waiting lists. Tech needs people. There is a chronic shortage of radiographers. Capital investment in equipment will not deliver for patients without a plan for more radiographers.”
The average vacancy rate for radiography is 13.4 per cent, with many departments’ vacancy rates inevitably much higher. The vacancy rate for mammographers has risen to 17.5 per cent in the last year.
“We’ve heard from therapeutic radiographers – our members responsible for planning and delivering radiotherapy – that chronic workforce shortages mean that they are not able to treat patients as quickly as they would like,” he added.
“Some talk about having to triage cancer patients, only delivering immediate treatment to the most urgent cases – again because of a shortage of therapeutic radiographers. New equipment alone will not address this.”
'No hours left to work safely'
More diagnostic tests will not be possible without more radiographers. In some departments, radiography equipment stands idle for part of the week, because there are not enough radiographers to undertake diagnostic tests, according to members of the SoR.
“Demand is increasing, and the NHS simply does not have the capacity to meet it,” Mr Evans said. “We cannot expect the existing workforce to continue to pick up the slack. In the face of current staff shortages, there are simply no additional hours left to work safely.
“The SoR is ready to engage positively. We want to be part of the solution to the crisis in the NHS. But part of the solution also has to be a salary that encourages new radiographers into the profession – rather than driving them away. Adequate and growing workforce numbers, including radiographers, are vital to healing the NHS.
“Our members deserve better. Our patients deserve better.”
The full breakdown of the Budget can be found here.
(Image: Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves with the red Budget Box, by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)