RCR responds to Autumn Budget 2025
Responding to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget announcement today, Dr Stephen Harden, President of the Royal College of Radiologists, said:
“We welcome the additional £300 million capital investment in NHS tech announced today, which will include digital tools to help doctors spend less time on admin and more time caring for patients. The UK needs 1,953 more clinical radiologists and 193 more clinical oncologists just to meet current demand for diagnostics, interventional radiology and cancer care, and demand is growing faster than the workforce can keep up with. So, measures to help short-staffed teams to work more efficiently will be important, provided they are delivered alongside investment in expanding the workforce itself.
It’s also welcome news that extra funding will cover the cost of merging NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care – avoiding the risk of any potential immediate impact on funding provision for vital day-to-day NHS services.
Unfortunately, we simply don’t have enough doctors to keep patients safe, and many patients still face long waits for care. We hope to see the NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan commit to ensuring the NHS has the staff it needs and retaining highly skilled doctors in its ranks.”
Notes to editors:
- Media contact: [email protected] 02038054065
- The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) is the leading professional membership body for clinical radiologists and clinical oncologists.