The SoR has welcomed the government’s plan to strengthen cancer care for patients in rural and coastal areas, but warned the National Cancer Plan must go further.
Announced by the Department of Health and Social Care on January 22, measures to improve cancer treatment and outcomes for patients in areas without easy access will be laid out in detail later this year. The plans include new training places targeted at trusts with the biggest workforce gaps.
However, the SoR has said that chronic radiography workforce shortages are so severe that investment in radiography positions is needed now.
Ending health inequalities
The most deprived parts of the country often have fewer cancer consultants, leaving patients waiting longer for vital care. These same areas face the highest rates of economic inactivity, with long waits for diagnosis and treatment keeping people out of work and holding back local economies.
To tackle this, the government aims to encourage more doctors to specialise in clinical and medical oncology, boosting the number of cancer specialists in underserved areas by working with Royal Colleges.
The announcement follows a commitment in the 10 Year Health Plan to divert billions of pounds to deprived areas, ensuring people in working-class communities, where medical resources are desperately needed, benefit from a huge boost in support.
New cancer manuals will set out what good care looks like, with regional partnerships of health leaders and clinicians using data to drive improvements where services are falling short.
Wes Streeting, health and social care secretary, said: “For too long, your chances of seeing a doctor and catching cancer early have depended on where you live. That’s not fair and has to stop. I am determined to end the health inequalities that have grown across England over the last 15 years.
“We’re training more doctors in the communities that need them most and making sure the latest cancer detection technology reaches every corner of the country. Faster diagnosis doesn’t just save lives - it gets people back to work and back to their families sooner. Whether you live in a coastal town or a rural village, you deserve the same shot at survival and quality of life as everyone else. This government will turn that promise into a reality.”
Demand is increasing
Richard Evans, CEO of the SoR, said the training places are “a good start”.
“But the National Cancer Plan must go further,” he added. “Demand is increasing, and the NHS simply does not have the capacity to meet it. Many of our members tell us that brand new MRI and CT scanners in their departments stand idle for parts of the week, because they didn’t come with a budget for radiographers to deliver patient care.”
NHS figures show 1.1 million patients are waiting for a diagnostic test to be carried out by a radiographer.
Where therapeutic radiography capacity is constrained, services may need to prioritise and sequence treatment starts according to clinical urgency, with knock-on effects for waiting times and service resilience.
Richard continued: “Investment in training future radiographers – while important – will not tackle the workforce shortages facing the NHS now. We cannot expect the existing workforce to continue to pick up the slack.”
'Promptest care possible'
A recent survey of SoR members revealed 83 per cent could only fill their departmental roster with regular overtime shifts because of staff shortages.
Two out of three radiographers – 65 per cent – have experienced burnout directly related to their work, according to a survey of more than 1,300 radiographers. This echoes concerns about high levels of sickness-related absence highlighted by Lord Darzi in his 2024 review of the NHS.
Richard emphasised: “Rather than reinventing the wheel constantly, the government should use existing, evidence-based workforce frameworks to ensure that patients are receiving the promptest and best care possible. Our members deserve better. Our patients deserve better.”
(Picture: Wes Streetg