Cancer Patients Deteriorating Amid Wales Radiologist Shortage
Radiologists, the doctors who read scans like X-rays and MRIs, warn that cancer patients are deteriorating because of staff shortages. North and west Wales have a 42% shortfall of consultant radiologists, compared with 22% in south Wales. The gap means the north and west are hit harder than the south.
Context
Wales runs its own health service, separate from England, and cancer care depends on scans read by radiologists, so a shortage slows diagnosis and treatment. Consultants are senior specialist doctors, and the UK has long reported staff gaps across the NHS.
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