The Society of Radiographers has welcomed calls from Labour health secretary for an independent review into the NHS.
With the number of people waiting for diagnostic appointments having increased to 1.14 million, the SoR has said it is time for some “hard truths”.
SoR analysis shows the waiting numbers have been steadily increasing this year, and it has now been 28 months with more than a million people waiting for a scan at the end of each month.
'Time to listen and work together'
Dean Rogers, director of industrial strategy for the Society, said: “When the new health secretary said that the NHS was broken, he was absolutely right. We are now long beyond a time when we’re able to blame waiting lists on the legacy of Covid. Demand is increasing, and the NHS simply does not have the capacity to meet it.
“It’s time to listen and work together in order to find a way to sustain the level of investment the NHS needs. We agree that it’s time for some hard truths about why the NHS is so badly broken.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting has announced an independent investigation, led by Lord Darzi, into the state of the NHS. Surgeon Ara Darzi was previously called upon to assess the NHS in 2008.
Mr. Streeting said it would aim at “diagnosing the problem” so the government could “write the prescription”.
Lord Darzi said: “As every clinician and every patient knows, the first step to addressing any health problem is a proper diagnosis.”
Acute shortages
Mr. Rogers emphasised that radiographers are central to addressing NHS waiting lists, and that acute shortages in departments are holding the health service back.
Sonography vacancies in particular have now risen to 14.8 per cent. More than half a million people are now waiting for non-obstetric ultrasound tests.
While the prime minister has spoken about tackling waiting lists by incentivising staff to take additional appointments out of hours, a recent survey of SoR members revealed that 82 per cent are working in departments that already rely on overtime shifts to cover staff shortages.
Mr. Rogers said: “Most of our members already work on 24/7 rosters, which include regular overtime and weekend work. It is not uncommon for radiographers to be working a 48-hour week, in order to deliver the best possible care.
“In the face of current staff shortages, there are no additional hours left to work safely.”
'Ready to engage positively'
The Long Term Workforce Plan won’t tackle the immediate need to recruit and retain more radiographers in the short term.
Mr. Rogers emphasised the need for the government to respond to the Pay Review Body report with an above inflation, above average pay award for NHS staff, and that anything less would be “counterproductive”.
“The SoR is ready to engage positively,” he continued. “We want to see the new government working in close partnership with unions and other stakeholders to deliver effective change – doctors, nurses and radiographers are vital to bringing down NHS waiting times.”
(Image: Wes Streeting, by Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)