Scotland's radiology shortage reaches ‘red alert’
There’s a national shortage of radiologists in Scotland. Raigmore Hospital in Inverness is losing its last interventional radiologist in a substantive post this week, BBC reported. The head of the country’s radiology group says the situation is dire.
"We are on red alert. There is absolutely no doubt about this,” said Grant Baxter, MD, chair of Scotland’s Royal College of Radiologists to BBC. "If we do not address this issue now, there simply won't be a service in the next three, four, five years.”
According to the college, demand for radiology is rising 10 percent each year. The Scottish government says it has acknowledged the situation and has promised 10 more trainees per year and 50 training places over the next five years.
However, the Royal College claims 25 more trainees per year are needed.
"We need to start training more radiologists. We need to put in the IT systems,” Baxter said. "The government need to be bolder, listen to what we're saying, and increase the number of trainees. It is the key part of the solution."
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.