5 June 2025, 10:52

By Dr Katharine Halliday

In every corner of the country, cancer patients are facing dangerous delays to life-saving scans and treatment because of a chronic shortage of doctors who diagnose and treat the disease.

That’s according to our latest survey of radiology and oncology leaders – but it won’t be a surprise to my NHS colleagues on the ground.

As a clinical radiologist, I see the pressures of understaffing every day. Patients can wait months for scans, and staff are pushed to breaking point. This low morale means cancer doctors are now leaving the NHS at a younger age than ever before.

Cancer leaders are saying loud and clear that staff shortages are putting patients’ lives at risk. A patient’s risk of death can increase by 10% for every........

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