The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has warned that the worsening shortage of radiologists and cancer doctors means delays to diagnosis and treatment.

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) is warning that without urgent action to bolster its ailing workforce, more patients across the UK will continue to suffer with delays to their diagnosis and care.

Its 2025 workforce data paints a worrying picture of ongoing staff shortages across the radiology and oncology workforce. These include the fact that 80% of radiology leaders and 50% of cancer leaders say staff shortages are causing patients’ conditions to worsen. This is the first time so many have felt this way.

Severe shortages of doctors in these sectors are driving delays to diagnosis and treatment of both cancer and other serious conditions, with workforce shortages particularly stark in deprived and rural areas.

Recruitment freezes affecting radiology departments and cancer centres have also doubled in a year, leading the College to urge the government to expand training and end the freezes to stop a worsening of the situation.

Nine out of ten cancer leaders have seen delays to patients starting radiotherapy or drug-based treatments, including chemotherapy, as a result of staff shortages. It was also revealed that last year, only 69% of patients started cancer treatment within 62 days of a referral, despite the target being 85%. Radiotherapy fared even worse, with just 40% starting within the same timeframe.

Widespread and worsening 

In people with cancer, every month’s delay in starting treatment can increase the risk of death by around 10%.

The issue isn’t particularly new, with the UK having 32% (more than 2,300) fewer radiologists and 17% (more than 230) fewer clinical oncologists than it needs to meet current demand, but it is continuing to worsen.

And for the first time, the RCR has shone a light on the geographical divide, with the shortage of radiologists significantly worse in small acute hospitals (43% shortfall) than in large teaching hospitals (30% shortfall). The North of Scotland, North and West Wales, and the North East and East Midlands in England are the worst-scoring areas.

“Alarm bells should be ringing for governments across the UK. Without urgent action to train, recruit and retain more doctors, more patients will suffer,” stressed RCR president Stephen Harden.

The RCR’s report was published in June and follows its recent warnings that the NHS has spent record highs trying to bridge the radiologist shortage with private providers.