Radiographer shortage in England ‘is delaying breast cancer treatment’

Women are receiving late breast cancer diagnoses and experiencing treatment delays due to a shortage of specialist staff who can deliver breast cancer scans, according to leading radiographers.

Specialist scans that are used to detect breast cancer are undertaken by radiographers, also known as mammographers, who specialise in breast imaging.

According to the Society of Radiographers, the latest vacancy rate among screening mammographers stands at 17.5%, and for symptomatic mammographers, who scan women who find a lump in their breast or those who have a family history of breast cancer, at almost a fifth of the workforce (19.8%).

Dean Rogers, the director of industrial strategy at the Society of Radiographers, said that the shortages were leading to women experiencing delays in cancer diagnoses, and that more mammographers needed to be recruited urgently.

“Our members work incredibly hard in order to provide a comprehensive service, despite staff shortages. But there’s no way that a department with 20% – or higher – vacancies can do the work of a full complement of mammographers. And, unfortunately, this may mean that some women’s cancers are not detected as promptly as they should be. Inevitably, any delay in detection and diagnosis means that cases become more complex and harder to treat.”

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Source: The Guardian, 15 August 2024