The Government responded to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on 3 October 2022, accepting its further recommendations on administration and directions to administer controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers.

As the letter set out, the Government intends to legislate to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers, including tramadol, lorazepam, diazepam, morphine, oxycodone and codeine. The Government also intends to make changes relating to use of controlled drugs in healthcare by podiatrists, paramedic independent prescribers, and those acting under Patient Group Directions.

During a short debate on this topic, held in the House of Lords Grand Committee on 14 September 2023, Home Office Minister Lord Sharpe explained that we intend to bring forward legislation to make the necessary amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 by the end of the year. This remains the intention.

The Government responded to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on 3 October 2022, accepting its further recommendations on administration and directions to administer controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers.

As the letter set out, the Government intends to legislate to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers, including tramadol, lorazepam, diazepam, morphine, oxycodone and codeine. The Government also intends to make changes relating to use of controlled drugs in healthcare by podiatrists, paramedic independent prescribers, and those acting under Patient Group Directions.

During a short debate on this topic, held in the House of Lords Grand Committee on 14 September 2023, Home Office Minister Lord Sharpe explained that we intend to bring forward legislation to make the necessary amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 by the end of the year. This remains the intention.

The information requested is not held.

The information requested is not held.

There are 75 more doctors in clinical radiology specialty training programmes in 2023 compared to 2022. The following table sets out the number of doctors the General Medical Council (GMC) have recorded as being on clinical radiology specialty training programmes in England from 2012 to 2023, showing a year-on-year increase:

Source: GMC National Trainee Survey data. Accessed via GMC Data Explorer, Postgraduate data, available at the following link: data.gmc-uk.org/gmcdata/home/#/reports/Postgraduate training/Stats/report.

Successful completion of the clinical radiology training programme allows doctors to join the GMC specialist register.

In addition to this, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) sets out how we will meet the workforce challenges of the future through increasing recruitment, including doubling medical school training places and increasing allied health professional training places by a quarter by 2031/32. The LTWP also sets a path to ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the National Health Service by improving culture, leadership, and wellbeing. In addition to retention measures, we will reform and modernise the way staff work, harness new technology and increase productivity to ensure staff can spend more time with patients. This will apply to all NHS staff groups, including radiologists.

The data requested is not held centrally, and there are no current plans to publish a list of the teleradiology companies based overseas that NHS radiology scans have been outsourced to.

The data requested is not held centrally, and there are no current plans to publish a list of the teleradiology companies based overseas that NHS radiology scans have been outsourced to.

It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.

It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation

The data requested is not held centrally.

The data requested is not held centrally.

There are two trusts in the National Health Service that support MR-Guided Focussed Ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for essential tremor. These are Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Imperial NHS Trust has 12 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners listed within the 2021-22 National Imaging Data Collection. With the addition of new Community Diagnostic Centres across the trust’s network, capacity for MRI will be increased further which should provide support for a reduction in waiting times.

The Walton Centre has five MRI scanners listed within the 2021-22 National Imaging Data Collection.

With this number of MRI scanners, NHS England assesses that there will be sufficient MRI capacity to deliver MRgFUS treatment for local Essential Tremor patients. The Department continues to work with NHS England to support systems to maximise the utilisation of these MRI scanners which should in turn support a reduction in waiting times for services.

The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent consultant radiographers in hospital trusts with Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) and in England as of March 2023, which is the latest period for which data is available.

As of March 2023, there were 5,350 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in clinical radiology in National Health Service trusts in England, 269 more than a year ago, representing a 5.3% increase.

As of March 2023, there were 17,006 FTE diagnostic radiographers and 3,024 FTE therapeutic radiographers working in NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England. Compared to March 2022, that is an increase of 882 in diagnostic radiographers, a 5.5% increase, and an increase of 67 in therapeutic radiographers, a 2.3% increase.

In January 2023, Health Education England announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for this year, including more than 500 in the key areas of mental health and cancer treatment.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), published in June 2023, includes an aim to double the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32, and to work towards this expansion by increasing places by a third, to 10,000 a year, by 2028/29. This will increase the potential pipeline for clinical radiologists. The LTWP also sets out planned increases in the training intake for diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers to 2,300 and 475 respectively per year by 2031.

These steps will benefit every integrated care board area, including Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) report ‘Clinical Radiology Workforce Census 2022’, published on 8 June 2023, reported that the total interventional radiology workforce grew by 15 whole time equivalent consultants, representing a 2% growth, and that there was a decrease by one consultant in paediatric interventional radiology posts.

Although the Department has not undertaken a formal assessment of the RCR report, it is already taking steps to expand the clinical radiology workforce through funding commitments and has made significant progress since investment. As of March 2023, there were 3,678 full-time equivalent consultants working in the clinical radiology specialism in National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards in England. This is an increase of 174 (5.0%) since last year and 1,404 (61.8%) since March 2010.

The Government has funded an additional 20 Specialty Training year six places for interventional radiologists in 2021/22 and 2022/23. Additionally, Health Education England (HEE) have recently started a new training pathway allowing trainees to start training in interventional radiology at Speciality Training year 1, directly from the foundation year.

In January 2023, HEE announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for this year, including more than 500 in the key areas of mental health and cancer treatment.

In the South East region, local systems are taking steps to address diagnostic waiting times, patient outcomes and staff wellbeing in the area. These include initiatives such as upskilling other staff such as radiographers to undertake advanced practice; investing over £40 million in digital infrastructure while working with industry partners around artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions; rolling out the i-refer system to support general practitioners (GPs) to appropriately refer for imaging tests; creating imaging networks to enable departments to provide mutual support and aid across the region.

£2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years including increasing the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025. This investment will support the ambition for 75% of patients with an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days by March 2024. This is in line with to NHS Long Term Plan ambitions on early diagnosis and improving patient outcomes.

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is taken seriously, and NHS England have put in place a wide ranging package of support for NHS staff. This includes emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

In 2023/24, NHS England is continuing to invest £50 million in the priorities set out in the Cancer Workforce Plan, including additional medical training places for clinical/medical oncology, radiology, histopathology, and gastroenterology.

As at February 2023 there are 1,641 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology, which is an increase of 335 (25.7%) since 2019. This includes 865 consultants working in the speciality of clinical oncology, which is an increase of 120 (16.1%) since 2019.

As at February 2023 there are 5,362 FTE doctors working in the speciality of clinical radiology, which is an increase of 969 (22.0%) since 2019. This includes 3,672 consultants working in the speciality of clinical oncology, which is an increase of 575 (18.6%) since 2019.

The Government has also committed to publishing the Long Term Workforce Plan shortly. The Long Term Workforce Plan will help ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to transform and deliver high quality services fit for the future.

In 2023/24, NHS England is continuing to invest £50 million in the priorities set out in the Cancer Workforce Plan, including additional medical training places for clinical or medical oncology, radiology, histopathology, and gastroenterology.

The Government has also committed to publishing the Long Term Workforce Plan shortly. The Long Term Workforce Plan will help ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to transform and deliver high quality services fit for the future.

The Secretary of State holds a number of discussions with NHS England on a range of issues, including diagnostic transformation. The Department is working with NHS England to support the maturity development of imaging networks across England by December 2023.

No specific assessment has been made.