A recent report by The King’s Fund highlighted the NHS’s dire situation regarding diagnostic services, pointing to growing demand and significant backlogs that cause delays in patient care.
Access to timely diagnostic treatment is crucial for providing early disease detection, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatments. As a leading supplier of radiology management solutions, RMS is committed to helping the NHS and private healthcare institutions by offering strategic solutions that improve productivity, patient care, and resource use.
The King’s Fund report reveals several startling statistics. Over the last ten years, demand for MRI and CT scans has increased by 185% and 250%, respectively, demonstrating their critical role in diagnosing numerous illnesses.
It also highlighted significant capacity deficits – the UK only has 17 MRI/CT scanners per million people, when compared to the European average of between 28-35 scanners per million people. This hardware shortage significantly limits the UK’s capacity to meet growing demand.
Gaps in the workforce are also a major obstacle, as there is currently a shortage of radiology professionals – in England, it is estimated that an additional 3500 radiographers are needed by 2025.
These statistics indicate that improving the capacity and effectiveness of diagnostic services requires a holistic approach, from address staffing issues, equipment shortages and waitlist management.
The Kings Fund highlights that national targets for diagnostic tests are not being met. One standard – that 99% of patients should wait less than six weeks for a diagnostic test – has not been met nationally since February 2017 – in March 2024, only 78% of patients received a test in under six weeks.
Although addressing the increasing need for diagnostic capabilities will be a significant challenge, there are some crucial areas of attention that specialist services such as RMS can support.
The difference in diagnostic equipment availability between the NHS and other OECD nations is significant, and points to a need for the NHS to invest in more MRI and CT scanners. Investing in diagnostic technology and equipment would help to provide more capacity to treat patients and satisfy rising demand.
Another obstacle for the NHS is the well-documented shortage of radiology professionals, with one contributing factor being the workload faced by radiographers. RMS can support with this by providing high-quality Radiographers and Clinical Support Workers to run imaging departments and to make sure existing scanners are being fully used.
Many NHS Trusts partner with RMS to provide imaging hardware and staffing to help with the smooth running of their radiology departments.
Working with RMS to Create a Resilient Diagnostic Service
The King’s Fund’s analysis highlights the urgent need for a well-coordinated and backed response to the NHS’s diagnostic difficulties. RMS offers solutions to satisfy current demand while constructing a more robust system to adjust to upcoming challenges.
By investing in cutting-edge imaging technology and providing high-quality and flexible imaging teams, RMS helps the NHS to provide patients with high-quality diagnostic services, promptly.
RMS is dedicated to giving healthcare providers the resources and know-how they need to address these challenges head-on as the demand for diagnostic services rises – learn more about how RMS can help with your diagnostic services.