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Found 25 results
  1. News Article
    The NHS is paying private firms record sums to analyse diagnostic scans because hospitals are too busy and understaffed to do the work themselves, research has revealed. The amount being spent on outsourced the interpretation of CT and MRI scans is “spiralling out of control” and reflects a short-sighted failure to train enough doctors, ministers are being told. Scans are vital for diagnosing diseases such as cancer and for monitoring patients’ responses to treatment, so they need to be done quickly. Many hospitals, however, rely on non-NHS health companies reading some scans to ensure they get the results promptly. NHS trusts and health boards across the UK gave £241m to private firms to undertake such work last year. As demand increases, spending has doubled in five years from £120min 2021 and tripled from the £81m spent in 2018. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), which collated the figures in its annual workforce census, said health service spending on private scan reading was “ballooning”. The NHS-wide shortage of radiologists has left hospitals with too little capacity to read all scans, meaning the service is “haemorrhaging” cash to independent firms, it said. The RCR also raised concerns that the analysis done by private firms was sometimes so poor that NHS radiologists had to read scans again, raising questions about the benefit of outsourcing. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 25 May 2026
  2. News Article
    Pregnant women and cancer patients could face “life-threatening” delays because of a worsening shortage of sonographers, experts warn. The vacancy rate for sonographers is 24.2% across England, rising to 38.2% in some areas, according to the Society of Radiographers (SoR). In addition, 1 in every 13 (7.6%) sonographers are planning to retire within the next year, the census found. Sonographers carry out ultrasound scans which are essential to pregnancy care and are also used to diagnose cancer. Pregnant women undergo scans when their baby is 12 weeks old and again at 20 weeks. Katie Thompson, SoR president and a practising sonographer, said shortages forced hospitals to pull in practitioners from other areas to keep the antenatal services going at the "expense of those other services". "Hospitals try their very best to get the three-month and five-month antenatal screening scans done on time," she said. "But when there aren't enough staff, prioritising those scans has a knock-on effect on more urgent later foetal growth scans, which in some cases need to be done within 24 or 36 hours. "Departments end up struggling to fit in patients who need these emergency scans." Read full story Source: Sky News, 28 March 2026
  3. News Article
    The Society of Radiographers is working alongside other organisations to launch a radiographer-led nasogastric (NG) tube position check pathway. Aimed at reducing misplacement incidents and improving patient safety, the pathway has been developed with Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (BSGAR) and the British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). Radiographers will be trained to evaluate and record NG tube placement via X-ray, increasing efficiency and providing a safe consistent structured process. Once trained, radiographers can perform these evaluations autonomously in real-time, reducing delays and providing a safe consistent structured clinical evaluation recorded on the Radiology Information System. NHS sites are being encouraged to pilot this pathway, with support from both SoR and RCR. Trusts and boards need to obtain local governance approval and work with key stakeholders to integrate the pathway into existing clinical workflows. Continuous learning will be supported through local audits, ensuring quality and safety are maintained. Radiologists play a key role in supporting radiographers and are essential for overseeing the implementation of the pathway. Read full story Source: The Society of Radiographers, 26 September 2024
  4. News Article
    A radiology shortage has been plaguing health systems in the US for a few years and is expected to get worse in coming years — but systems are making changes to reduce its impact. A shortage of up to 42,000 radiologists is expected by 2033. Currently, the radiology technologist vacancy rates are up to 18.1%, compared to 6.2% three years ago. Further complicating the matter, the number of imaging studies has increased by up to 5% per year, but the number of radiology residency positions has increased by only 2%. If current imaging rates remain standard, there will be an estimated 16.9% to 26.9% increase in imaging utilization by 2055. "We (the industry) waited too long to start discussing the shortage," leaders from Evanston, Ill.-based Endeavor Health told Becker's. "Had we been proactive in understanding this phenomenon, we could have avoided some of the deficit. Now we are in reaction mode and trying to catch up." With America's aging population, many radiologists are also going to be retiring in coming years, with fewer radiologists coming up to replace them. And the challenges for health systems do not end there. "The relatively higher fixed costs smaller private groups bear for billing services, malpractice insurance, benefits, etc. make it increasingly difficult to offer competitive wages, so recruitment and retention in a competitive market become challenging," they said. "We have also experienced unplanned increases in teleradiology pricing over the last year, resulting in a negative margin for this volume subset as the reimbursement for most interpretations outweigh the professional fee collections." Read full story Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 5 March 2025
  5. Content Article
    This is the 15th annual clinical radiology census report by The Royal College of Radiologists. The census received a 100% response rate, meaning this report presents a comprehensive picture of the clinical radiology workforce in the UK as it stood in October 2022.   Key findings The workforce is not keeping pace with demand for services. In 2022, the clinical radiology workforce grew by just 3%. In comparison, demand for diagnostic activity is rising by over 5% annually, and by around 4% for interventional radiology services.  The UK now has a 29% shortfall of clinical radiologists, which will rise to 40% in five years without action. By 2027, an additional 3,365 clinical radiologists will be needed to keep up with demand for services.   This will have an inevitable impact on the quality-of-care consultants are able to provide. Only 24% of clinical directors believe they had sufficient radiologists to deliver safe and effective patient care.   Interventional radiologists are still limited with the care they can provide. Nearly half (48%) of trusts and health boards have inadequate IR services, and only 1/3 (34%) of clinical directors felt they had enough interventional radiologists to deliver safe and effective patient care.   Stress and burnout are increasingly common among healthcare professionals, risking an exodus of experienced staff. 100% of clinical directors (CDs) are concerned about staff morale and burnout in their department. 76% of consultants (WTE) who left in 2022 were under 60.  We are seeing increasing trends that the workforce is simply not able to manage the increase in demand for services. 99% of departments were unable to manage their reporting demand without incurring additional costs.   Across the UK, health systems spent £223 million on managing excess reporting demand in 2022, equivalent to 2,309 full-time consultant positions. Access the full census report here Related content: The benefits of a nursing led Vascular Access Service Team: A White Paper to outline a standardised structure and approach for the NHS to deliver vascular access services in every hospital (27 June 2022)  
  6. Event
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    The Faculty of Clinical Radiology has developed guidance on the duty of candour with the aim of providing radiologists with guidance and real-world examples on the implementation of the duty of candour. The document recognises the unique circumstances faced by radiologists and all who work in imaging. It is not possible to provide guidance for every situation, but the aim is to provide an approach which will help colleagues navigate an unfamiliar process in the best possible way for our patients and the professionals who care for them. The Royal College of Radiologists is hosting a webinar to discuss this new guidance and answer any queries. Please submit any questions in advance to [email protected] by Friday 24th June to ensure we are able to answer as many as possible. Register for the webinar
  7. Content Article
    The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published its annual overview report of lessons learned from receipt of statutory notifications of accidental and unintended exposures to ionising radiation in 2020. This report provides an overview of the findings from these notifications and shares learnings from the investigations of these incidents. Further reading HIQA: Annual report of accidental or unintended exposures to ionising radiation in 2019 CQC reports on safe use of radiation in healthcare settings (19 December 2019)
  8. Content Article
    The Care Quality Commission (CQC)’s annual report on Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations in England has been published. The report gives a breakdown of the number and type of statutory notifications of errors received from healthcare providers in 2018/19 where patients were exposed to ionising radiation. These notifications are where there have been significant accidental or unintended exposures, for example where a patient received a higher dose than intended or where the wrong patient was exposed. Professor Ted Baker, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said:“It is important that organisations learn from incidents and take action to mitigate any risks when patients are exposed to ionising radiation from x-rays, radiotherapy or radiopharmaceuticals as part of their diagnosis or treatment." “The number of errors involving patients is small in the context of the many millions of procedures undertaken each year involving radiation. That said, in too many cases errors happen as a result of inadequate checks, poor communication, or because of a simple failure follow procedures around radiation protection." The report includes recommended actions that providers can take to improve compliance with the regulations and the quality and safety of care for patients. It also shares examples of good practice to help leaders and healthcare professionals identify where they can make improvements in their own services.
  9. Content Article
    "It’s time to halt, take a break, and redraw the relationship between patient care and self-care. Self-care isn’t an optional luxury. It must sit at the heart of what we do, to ensure our teams can continue to rise to the challenges of working in the 21st century NHS, to give our patients the best of both ourselves, and the organisation so many of us are proud to be a part of." This editorial by Dr Michael Farquhar, published in Anaesthesia, explains the importance of taking breaks while on shift and ensuring a good sleep between shifts and the inextricable link between sleep and patient safety.
  10. Content Article
    The lack of follow-up or communication of unexpected significant findings can have a serious or life-threatening impact on patients. This was seen in the reference case that informed this Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigation. In this event, a 76-year old woman had a chest X-ray showing a possible lung cancer which was not followed up and resulted in a delayed diagnosis. The patient died just over two months after her diagnosis. Key findings The investigation identified that there: are multiple opportunities for error in the processes used to communicate unexpected findings are many steps that have to be completed successfully before the patient is informed is variance in how clinicians receive findings and how they acknowledge receipt of them.
  11. Content Article
    More information about "Enhancing radiation safety culture in health care: guidance for health care providers (10 July 2024)"
    Radiation safety culture in health care encompasses every action taken to improve the protection and safety of patients and personnel involved in medical exposure. This report provides a framework to establish, maintain and enhance radiation safety culture in health care. It highlights patterns of organisational and individual thinking and behaviours which define a positive safety culture and provides a set of tools to assess the existing level and quality of radiation safety culture and good practice examples. The publication was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) and the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). The key messages of the publication are the following: Actions taken to enhance the protection and safety of patients and personnel involved in medical use of radiation represent radiation safety. These actions lead to radiation safety culture when organisational and individual characteristics and attitudes that determine how everyone practices radiation safety are considered and embedded within an organization (e.g., ideas, values, behaviours and customs). Anyone with a safety concern or perceived safety concern should be empowered to raise awareness and resolve the issue before commencing activities. Leadership, management and personal accountability are critical factors in enhancing radiation safety culture, and those involved in radiation safety should prioritize them as such. Understanding the errors affecting patient safety has developed from a simple causal model to one that considers a complex mix of behaviours and interactions influencing the environment and outcome. Implementing the principles of justification and optimization is essential to ensure that radiation used in health care is managed safely. Engagement strategies must be tailored to the diverse groups of stakeholders contributing to radiation safety culture. Everyone in the diverse groups of stakeholders is responsible for assuring a strong radiation safety culture in health care aiming that patients are imaged and treated correctly. Communication, education and training are considered essential for establishing and maintaining radiation safety culture. There needs to be consistent and coordinated understanding of radiation safety culture among the many stakeholders within health care, which acknowledges the varying perceptions. Everyone can participate in strengthening safety culture. There are international, national and local initiatives to help health care providers improve radiation safety. A combination of optimal tools is required to establish and maintain radiation safety culture. This includes standards and regulations, policies and procedures, education and training, audit activities, communication strategies, reporting and learning systems, checklists, verification procedures, time-out procedures as well as technical developments. A positive safety culture can be defined by ten traits: leadership responsibility, individual responsibility, continuous learning, effective safety communication, respectful work environment, problem identification and resolution, environment for raising concerns, decision-making, questioning attitude and work processes. Good practices to improve safety culture shared by radiation health care providers can be adopted/adapted around the world. Existing frameworks proposing assessment tools and performance indicators can be adopted and adapted to the local context to assess level and quality of radiation safety culture. Related reading Raising awareness and protecting staff from ionising radiation: an interview with Katie Hurst
  12. Content Article
    The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) have published their 2023 clinical radiology and clinical oncology workforce census reports. These reveal dangerous shortages of doctors essential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and other conditions including stroke.   The reports show growing delays for patients trying to access critical NHS services: Nearly half of cancer centres reported weekly delays in patients accessing treatment in 2023, with over 8 in 10 cancer leaders (85%) expressing concern that workforce shortages were impacting patient safety. Almost all (97%) radiology leaders say that workforce shortages caused delays and backlogs. These delays are the direct result of severe workforce shortages, due to demand for services outstripping consultant growth. Across the UK: There is a 30% shortfall of clinical radiology consultants (1,962 doctors). Without further action this shortfall is forecasted to increase to 40% (3,670 doctors) by 2028. In 2023, while the clinical radiology workforce grew by 6%, demand for CT and MRI reporting surged by 11%. There is a 15% shortfall of clinical oncology consultants (185 doctors). Without further action this shortfall is forecasted to increase to 21% (325 doctors) by 2028. In 2023, the number of chemotherapy appointments rose by 6-8% but the consultant workforce only grew by 3.5%. As a result of these shortfalls: The NHS spent £276 million on outsourcing, insourcing and ad-hoc locums to manage excess reporting demand– the highest on record. We could fund 2,690 consultant salaries with this money, more than the original shortfall in professionals. Patients are facing unacceptable delays in receiving a diagnosis and starting lifesaving treatments, putting better outcomes at risk. With a 100% response rate from clinical directors and cancer heads of service, this data provides an authoritative snapshot of the workforce and the impact of staff shortages in these critical areas. The time for action is now. The Royal College of Radiologists are calling for a three-point plan to address these dangerous workforce shortages; to recruit, train and retain clinical radiologists and clinical oncologists. This plan includes a series of targeted recommendations for the government and NHS in each nation to integrate into the next iteration of their workforce plan.
  13. News Article
    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.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 August 2024
  14. News Article
    Increased reliance on imaging for diagnosis and efficient patient care mixed with higher volumes of patients has left US hospitals scrambling to meet demand with the few radiologists they have. There are over 1,400 vacant radiologist positions posted on the American College of Radiology's job board, according to a bulletin posted on its website. The total number of active radiology and diagnostic radiology physicians has dropped by 1% between 2007 and 2021, but the number of people in the U.S. per active physician in radiology grew nearly 10%, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. An increase in the Medicare population and a declining number of people with health insurance adds to the problem. "Demand for imaging services is increasing across the country, creating longer worklists for radiology staff at the same time the healthcare system is experiencing a workforce shortage in radiology," Michigan Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters told The Detroit News in an April 28 report. "The combination of vacancies and increased demand can force imaging delays measured from days to upwards of two weeks." CMS also cut fees for both diagnostic (3%) and interventional radiology (4%) this year, according to an article published on healthcare technology company XiFin's website. This leaves many hospitals having to use external groups to stay on top of demand. Mr. Peters told Detroit News, "Hospitals and health systems are also competing with practices offering remote-only positions, which allows Michigan radiologists to work for out-of-state providers at higher rates." Read full story Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 29 April 2024
  15. News Article
    More than 1,000 CT scans carried out in Scotland have been reviewed after concerns were raised about the work of one consultant radiologist, BBC Scotland News has learned. The medic was responsible for interpreting the detailed images of internal body parts and identifying health issues like cancer. The scans were carried out at hospitals around the country and assessed by one of a central pool of experts working for the Scottish National Radiology Reporting Service (SNRRS) between April 2022 and July 2024. It is understood that the review found that about 10 patients had potentially been affected. The SNRRS said the patients would be contacted by their local NHS board to discuss further action. They added that the consultant radiologist at the centre of review no longer works for the SNRRS. It is understood that information about the review has been provided to the health board where the radiologist normally works. Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 December 2024
  16. Content Article
    This study in the journal Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology aimed to explore the perspectives of radiology and internal medicine residents on the desire for personal contact between radiologists and referring doctors, and the effect of improved contact on clinical practice. A radiology round was implemented, in which radiology residents travel to the internal medicine teaching service teams to discuss their inpatients and review ordered imaging. Surveys were given to both groups following nine months of implementation. The vast majority of both diagnostic radiology residents and internal medicine residents reported benefits in patient management from direct contact with the other group, leading the authors to conclude that this generation of doctors is already aware of the value of radiologists who play an active, in-person role in making clinical decisions.
  17. Content Article
    The aim of this study from H R Guly was to describe the injuries misdiagnosed as a sprain of the wrist and to determine the approximate incidence of misdiagnosis in patients diagnosed as having a sprain of the wrist. In total 57 injuries initially diagnosed as a sprained wrist had a different diagnosis (1.76% of all diagnoses of sprained wrists). This is an underestimate of the true incidence of diagnostic error. Forty two per cent of the misdiagnoses were of greenstick or torus fractures of the distal radius. Guly concluded that training for junior doctors in A&E departments should be improved—especially training in radiological interpretation. Other methods of preventing diagnostic errors by misreading of radiographs, for example, more hot reporting of radiographs by radiologists or radiographers should be considered.
  18. News Article
    A review of the work of a former locum consultant radiologist in the Northern Trust has identified major discrepancies in 66 images. The trust has concluded a review of 13,030 scans and x-rays. The review was launched in June after the General Medical Council raised concerns about the locum consultant radiologist's work. The highest level of hospital investigation will be carried out into the cases of 17 patients. More than 9,000 patients were contacted as part of the review. The review identified six images at level one - a major discrepancy where errors or omissions in reporting could have had an immediate and significant clinical impact for the patients concerned. A further 60 images were level two - a major discrepancy with a probable clinical impact. "Most of the images categorised as having Level 1 and Level 2 discrepancies are CT scans but some are MRI scans, chest x-rays and other x-rays," said the trust's medical director, Seamus O'Reilly. "That detailed clinical assessment, which has resulted in 69 patients being called back, was to determine whether any clinical harm occurred as a result of the discrepancies found in the lookback review," "I can confirm that following careful consideration, the clinical assessment group has determined that 17 patients should now be part of a Level 3 Serious Adverse Incident (SAI) review." Read full story Source: BBC News, 13 October 2021
  19. News Article
    76 people were unintentionally exposed to ionising radiation in Irish hospitals in 2020, according to the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA). This figure represents an 11% increase on the total reported in 2019. HIQA today published an overview report on the 'increase in accidental and unintended exposure to ionising radiation events notified to HIQA in 2020. Under the European Union (Basic Safety Standards for Protection against dangers arising from Medical Exposure to Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2018 and 2019, HIQA is the competent authority for patient protection in relation to medical exposure to ionising radiation in Ireland. In its 2019 report — its first such publication — HIQA expressed hope that the areas of improvement it identified "would help reduce the likelihood of such events and drive quality improvements in safety mechanisms for medical exposures in Ireland." Despite this, eight more accidental exposure incidents were recorded in 2020 than in the previous year. Human error was identified as the main cause of accidental exposure in 58% of the incidents, however, HIQA determined that other factors likely contributed to these. Some 34% of the incidents involved the wrong patient being exposed to ionising radiation. HIQA said these exposures occurred at varying points along the medical exposure pathway. It stressed that the number of unintended exposure to ionising radiation incidents last year was small compared with the total number of procedures carried out, estimated to be in the region of three million. Read full story Source: Irish Examiner, 15 September 2021
  20. News Article
    A review into the work of a locum consultant radiologist has so far identified "major discrepancies" affecting 12 cases. A full lookback review of 13,030 radiology images was launched last month. The doctor worked at hospitals run by the Northern Health Trust between July 2019 and February 2020. The review steering group chair said it was "images in levels one and two that we are most concerned about". "To date there are 12 level ones and twos [approximately 0.5% of the total number reviewed]," said Dr Seamus O'Reilly, the Northern Trust medical director. "Most of these concern CT scans where inaccurate initial reading of the scans could, or is likely to, have had an impact on the patient's clinical treatment and outcome." More than 9,000 patients have been contacted as part of the review, which is looking at radiology images taken in Antrim Area, Causeway, Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster Hospitals as well as the Ballymena Health and Care Centre. Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 July 2021
  21. News Article
    The NHS handed private firms a record £216m last year to examine X-rays and scans because hospitals have too few radiologists. The amount of money NHS organisations across the UK are paying companies to interpret scans has doubled in five years as demand rises for diagnostic tests. Despite the growth in privatisation, the NHS in England failed to read 976,000 X-rays and CT and MRI scan results within its one-month target – the highest number ever. Scans play a crucial role in telling doctors if a patient has cancer or a broken bone, for example. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), which collated the figures from doctors across the UK, said the £216m given to private firms in 2024 was “a false economy” which it blamed on the NHS’s failure to recruit enough specialists to read all the scans patients have in its hospitals. The college said the growing outsourcing of scan analysis risked creating “a vicious cycle” in which NHS radiology services were increasingly weakened and its doctors drawn to private work. Dr Katharine Halliday, the RCR’s president, said: “The current sticking plaster approach to managing excess demand in radiology is unsustainable and certainly isn’t working for patients, who face agonising waits for answers about their health. “It is a false economy to be spending over £200m of NHS funds outsourcing radiology work to private companies, and evidence of our failure to train and retain the amount of NHS radiologists we need.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 May 2025
  22. News Article
    People with cancer face a “ticking timebomb” of delays in getting diagnosed and treated because the NHS is too short-staffed to provide prompt care, senior doctors have warned. An NHS-wide shortage of radiologists and oncologists means patients are enduring long waits to have surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have a consultant review their care. Hold-ups lead to some people’s cancer spreading, which can reduce the chances of their treatment working and increase the risk of death, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) said. NHS cancer services are struggling to keep up with rising demand for tests, such as scans and X-rays, and treatment, created by the growing number of people getting the disease. All radiology bosses surveyed said during 2024 their units could not scan all patients within the NHS’s maximum waiting times because they did not have enough staff. “Delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment will inevitably mean that for some patients their cancer will progress while they wait, making successful treatment more difficult and risking their survival,” said Dr Katharine Halliday, the RCR’s president. The findings are particularly worrying because research has found that a patient’s risk of death can increase by about 10% for each month they have to wait for treatment. Nine out of 10 cancer centre chiefs said patients were delayed starting their treatment last year while seven in 10 said they feared workforce gaps were putting patients’ safety at risk. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 June 2025
  23. Content Article
    The Royal College of Radiologists’ (RCR) annual radiology workforce report collected data and commentary from imaging department leaders from all 172 UK health boards and trusts that employ radiologists. The report highlights the UK’s current and predicted shortage of radiologists and urgently calls for more funding for trainees and improved retention and recruitment. Key findings from the Clinical Radiology UK Workforce Census Report 2018 include: Three quarters of radiology clinical directors say they do not have enough radiology consultants to deliver safe and effective patient care. NHS hospitals spent £165m last year on outsourcing, overtime and locums to cover radiologist work, £49m more than in 2017 and three times what was spent in 2014. The amount spent on outsourcing would pay for 1,887 full-time radiologists, which would more than pay to cover the current shortfall of 1,104 consultants. Only one in five UK trusts and health boards has enough interventional radiologists to run a safe 24/7 service to perform urgent procedures . England has seen an increase in its full-time radiologist workforce; however, consultant numbers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are flatlining.
  24. News Article
    AI is detecting tumours more often and earlier in the Dutch breast cancer screening program. Those tumours can then be treated at an earlier stage. This has been demonstrated by researchers led by Radboud university medical centre in a study published in The Lancet Digital Health. The use of AI could reduce workload and save millions of euros annually. Previous research in Sweden had already shown that AI detects breast cancer on mammograms more frequently than radiologists. Moreover, AI can reduce the workload for radiologists. Now, it appears that AI can also replace the second radiologist in the Dutch breast cancer screening programme. This even leads to the detection of more tumours - and at an earlier stage - which later turn out to be clinically significant. Researchers, led by breast radiologist Ritse Mann of Radboudumc, analyzed 42,000 breast scans. These mammograms were taken as part of the Dutch screening program in the Utrecht region. Traditionally, two radiologists review these scans, as is standard practice in breast cancer screening. In this study, the researchers also evaluated the scans using AI developed by ScreenPoint Medical. Additionally, they followed the women whose scans were analysed for nearly four and a half years, with multiple scans available for many of them. The study showed that one radiologist working with AI detects more tumours than two radiologists alone. Tumours are also identified earlier when AI is involved. "Sometimes the AI detects a tumour that the radiologists don’t yet recognize as such. We call this a false positive. But often that tumour appears in a later scan after all. Therefore the AI was right earlier," PhD candidate Suzanne van Winkel explains. "By the time the radiologist raises the alarm, it often concerns larger invasive tumours, which definitely need treatment, as early as possible." In Sweden, AI is already being used to analyse screening mammograms. "They replace the second radiologist with AI. Only if the AI is uncertain does a second radiologist step in," Mann explains. "We see that radiologists work well with AI, which leads to more tumors being detected without a significant increase in unnecessary follow-up checks for women." Read full story Source: Digital Health News, 15 August 2025
  25. Content Article
    This guidance from The Royal College of Radiologists aims to provide radiologists with guidance on how to implement the duty of candour, recognising the unique circumstances they face. It includes real-world examples and provides an approach which will help radiologists navigate an unfamiliar process in the best possible way. The guidance covers: The principles of candour Why this can be difficult in a radiological context Candour in different situations (reactive and proactive candour) and departmental disclosure policies Candour processes in practice The difference between discrepancy assessment and education/Radiology Events and Learning Meetings (REALM) Specific considerations (interventional radiology and remote reporting within an imaging network).

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