State of the wait

The ‘State of the wait’ is our analysis of diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment waiting times, showing how many radiologists it would take to clear the imaging backlog in England.

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A major reason for this backlog is workforce shortages. In England, we have a 31% shortfall of clinical radiologists; projected to rise to 41% in five years' time, which means growing waiting times for patients who need a timely diagnosis. This is why we're calling on the government to prioritise the workforce by adopting our three-point plan to 'recruit, train and retain' the doctors we urgently need.

For further detail on our workforce recommendations, read our clinical radiology census report.

Please share these figures on social media with #StateOfTheWait.

We'll update these figures monthly, on the first Thursday of every month. If you would like to discuss the results, please contact the RCR's External Affairs Team on: [email protected].

The NHS in England would have to employ more diagnostic radiology consultants overnight in order to clear the 6 week wait for CT and MRI scans in one month.* The figures below indicate how many more consultants would be needed to reduce the gap.

*This is calculated based on CT scans and MRI scans taking an average 15 and 20 minutes respectively to report.

State of the wait: Diagnostic Imaging (CT and MRI waits)

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December 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 346 radiologists to be hired overnight.

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November 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 308 radiologists to be hired overnight.

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October 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 304 radiologists to be hired overnight.

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September 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 332 radiologists to be hired overnight.

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August 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 368 radiologists to be hired overnight.

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July 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 383 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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June 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 388 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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May 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 385 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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April 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 405 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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March 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 370 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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February 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 348 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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January 2024

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 442 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 12% of the current workforce.

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December 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 406 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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November 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 369 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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October 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 367 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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August 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 397 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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July 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 386 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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June 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 381 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 10% of the current workforce.

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May 2023

To clear the backlog within one month, we would need an additional 372 radiologists to be hired overnight, equivalent to 9% of the current workforce.

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