Two weeks ago CMS proposed a 2023 physician fee schedule (PFS) that stands to slash pay to U.S. diagnostic radiologists by 3% and interventionalists by 4%.
This week the U.K.’s National Health Service put that country’s radiologists in a similar bind, saying it will increase NHS doctors’ salaries by 4.5% while offsetting a lack of budgeted monies for the raise by reducing funding for diagnostic services and IT infrastructure.
The Royal College of Radiologists was quick to register its disapproval with the plan.
In a statement sent to the press July 21, the RCR says targeting diagnostics and IT to bear the budgetary burden will intensify pressure on a thinly stretched workforce and thwart efforts to catch up with COVID-related backlogs.
Among the preventable consequences of these effects, RCR suggests, are dangerously poor patient outcomes due to late diagnoses.
“Diagnostic professionals, especially radiologists, are crucial to a functioning health service,” the statement reads. “Over 80% of hospital pathways involve imaging and its expert interpretation by clinical radiologists, often before treatment can begin. The earlier an illness is spotted, the higher the chance of it being successfully treated.”
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[T]he diagnostic workforce is already facing challenges due to decades of underfunding. The Royal College of Radiologists’ 2021 Workforce Census found that there is a shortfall of 30% (1,453) clinical radiologist consultants in England. This shortfall led to 63% of radiology clinical directors say there are insufficient radiologists to deliver safe and effective patient care. Without further action to tackle the crisis, this shortfall is forecasted to increase to 39% (2,707) by 2026.”
“We need the government and future Prime Minister to prevent service cuts, wake up to the scale of workforce shortages and commit to a sustainable funding and workforce plan,” the RCR states. “[O]therwise, patients will suffer.”
Full RCR statement here. British media coverage of the overall NHS plan here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.