Mounting demand and staffing pressures mean that claims for radiology errors have risen over the past decade to reach a peak last year.
The financial impact of diagnostic imaging failures within the NHS is growing as mounting demand and staffing pressures continue to strain radiology services nationwide.
Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist shows that NHS trusts in England have collectively paid out more than £230 million in compensation since 2020 to patients who brought claims linked to radiology-related mistakes.
Each year, millions of scans are carried out across the NHS, and the vast majority are completed accurately. When errors occur, however, such as missed findings, delayed reporting, or scans not being performed at all, the consequences for patients can be serious and long-lasting.
Over the past ten years, the number of settled radiology negligence claims has risen by around 30%, marking one of the sharpest increases among all clinical negligence specialities. This trend reflects growing pressure on diagnostic services as demand for imaging continues to climb.
“Radiology is a key part of modern healthcare and includes diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans and ultrasounds. These tools are a vital step in identifying a patient’s condition and ensuring they receive the appropriate treatment,” said Sophie Cope, medical negligence solicitor for JF Law.
“When something goes wrong at this stage, whether a scan is carried out to a poor standard, misinterpreted, delayed, or never carried out in the first place, the impact on a patient’s health can be profound.”
Workforce shortages are affecting patient safety
Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 2,163 radiology-related claims were brought against NHS trusts in England. Of these, 1,520 claims were settled, with the highest annual total recorded last year, when 504 claims were made.
As Healthcare Today pointed out last year, the early retirement of radiologists means that workforce shortages are affecting patient safety.
Radiology mistakes can arise from a range of causes, including human error, inadequate supervision, outdated equipment, or high workloads. These incidents are commonly categorised as diagnostic errors, which are regarded as among the most serious patient safety failures due to their direct impact on treatment outcomes and prognosis.
NHS trusts paid a total of £231 million in compensation for radiology-related claims over the past five years. The highest annual payout occurred in 2022/23, when settlements reached £58.5 million.
While some claims involved severe outcomes, including delayed cancer diagnoses and fatalities, the most frequently recorded injury was unnecessary pain and suffering, accounting for 261 claims during the five-year period.
Among individual trusts, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust recorded the highest overall compensation total, paying out £13.4 million in radiology-related settlements since 2020.
“Many of these errors are avoidable. When a patient is harmed because standards have fallen short, they have every right to question what went wrong,” said Cope.
