NHS Hospitals delaying recruitment of radiographers to save cash, says union

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has raised concerns that hospitals are postponing job adverts for radiographers to cut staffing costs. A survey of over 1,300 professionals revealed that a third had noticed delays in recruitment efforts within their hospitals as a cost-saving measure.

One radiographer highlighted the issue, saying, "If someone has given their notice to leave, work will not advertise the post until months later." Another voiced frustrations about staff shortages, stating, "We are haemorrhaging staff due to poor morale and burnout. The trust waits until the day the person leaves before advertising, knowing it can take six months from advert to start date then another six months of training before the new recruit is up to speed. Shambles."

Dean Rogers, SoR's executive director of industrial strategy, commented on the situation: "Most of our members are working in departments that are already understaffed, sometimes severely so. There is simply no slack in the system, there are no additional hours left to work safely."

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He warned of the consequences of delayed hiring: "Delaying advertising for vacant roles might save the hospital some money, but at what cost? Two-thirds of our members are already telling us that they’ve experienced burnout." Rogers stressed that overburdening radiographers could lead to more professionals leaving the field, further straining those who stay.

Rogers continued: "The SoR is eager to engage positively with the government, and to help shape its 10-year plan for the NHS. We want to be part of the solution to the crisis in the NHS but that solution must include a proper long-term plan, with proper long-term workforce funding to match."

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