Lack of UK cancer doctors could lead to diagnosis delays for patients
Experts warn staff shortages are the 'number one concern' among doctors
Experts are warning a lack of cancer doctors in the UK could lead to patients waiting longer to be diagnosed.
The Royal College of Radiologists claims staff shortages are the "number one concern" among doctors.
Two new workforce reports from the college found radiologists and oncologists are "burned out" and the current situation is "unsustainable."
Its audit into the clinical oncology workforce concluded that there is a 17% shortfall of these medics across the UK.
This shortfall could increase to 26% in the next four years, it estimated.
A poll of leaders from all 60 UK cancer centres found that 67% were concerned about workforce shortages affecting the quality of patient care.
Almost 88% said they are concerned about delayed treatment for patients at their centre.
The report highlights estimates from Macmillan Cancer Support which suggest there were 50,000 missed cancer diagnoses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Royal College of Radiologists president Jeanette Dickson said:
"Whenever I speak to consultant radiologists and consultant oncologists, the number one issue is workforce.
"The situation we're in is simply unsustainable and, as these reports show, the impact of doctor shortages is being felt across the country and affecting our ability to diagnose devastating illnesses such as heart disease and stroke, but also our ability to diagnose and treat cancer in a timely manner.
"More training places have been provided recently, but we need a long-term, fully funded, sustained investment that builds in a permanent increase in training numbers, trust funding to employ these trainees, and significant investment in IT and equipment.
"Doctors are burnt out and if we don't address these workforce issues soon, the picture is going to get a lot worse in future years."
Minesh Patel, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:
"The NHS cancer workforce has been plagued by a lack of staff since way before the pandemic.
"Staff are working incredibly hard but a shortage of cancer professionals across the board is leaving patients without the level of support they need, which can have a huge impact on someone's quality of care and even their prognosis."
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive at Cancer Research UK, said: "These reports further highlight the Government's persistent failure to offer a long-term solution to the chronic shortages in the cancer workforce.
"UK cancer survival currently lags behind comparable countries, and despite the tireless work of the NHS, there is unacceptable variation across the country in the ability to deliver timely cancer care.
"Sajid Javid's upcoming 10-year cancer plan is a vital opportunity to deliver the world-leading cancer care that every person affected by cancer deserves."