Women are being diagnosed with breast cancer late and experiencing delays in treatment because of a shortage of specialist staff who can carry out breast cancer scans, leading radiologists say.
Specialized scans used to detect breast cancer are performed by radiologists, also known as mammographers, who specialize in breast imaging.
According to the Society of Radiographers, the latest vacancy rate for screening mammographers stands at 17.5%, and for symptomatic mammographers, who screen women who find a lump in their breast or who have a family history of breast cancer, at almost a fifth of the workforce (19.8%).
All women in England aged 50 to 71 are encouraged to have a breast examination every three years.
Dean Rogers, director of industrial strategy at the Society of Radiographers, said the shortage was leading to delays in diagnosing women’s cancer and more mammograms needed to be recruited urgently.
“Our members work incredibly hard to provide a comprehensive service, despite staff shortages. But there is no way that a department with 20% (or more) vacancies can do the work of a full complement of mammogram technicians. And sadly, this can mean that some cancers in women are not detected as early as they should be. Inevitably, any delay in detection and diagnosis means that cases become more complex and harder to treat.”
She added that the NHS must urgently recruit more mammogram examiners to meet growing demand and increase salaries to encourage more radiologists to join the profession, rather than “push them away”.
Rachael Franklin, interim chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “This shocking shortage of mammography staff on the NHS is contributing to people with breast cancer being delayed in receiving a diagnosis and accessing life-changing treatments that could give them the best chance of survival.
The Breast Cancer Now No Time to Lose campaign calls for urgent investment in breast cancer screening to ensure women have access to testing now and in the future.
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“The new UK government must prioritise tackling the workforce crisis to ensure its sustainability; recruiting, training, retaining and supporting staff to ensure cancer patients receive the care they deserve.
“Anyone seeking support or information about breast cancer can speak to our expert nurses by calling our free helpline on 0808 800 6000.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “We recognise the need to increase the number of radiologists working in the NHS, which is why our long-term NHS workforce plan sets out a roadmap to increase training places for diagnostic radiologists by almost two-fifths by 2031-32, including through traditional apprenticeship routes and university courses.”
