The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) is urging the U.K. government and National Health Service England to act on recommendations toward stabilizing the cancer workforce for the future.
This comes as Members of Parliament debated the impact of the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) workforce levels on cancer patients on 23 October. The RCR is calling on the government to train more cancer doctors and improve working conditions to retain current doctors.
The RCR is also calling for the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England to ensure that NHS workforce planning maintains breast tumor site specialty expertise for common cancers.
The college cited data from the 2024 Clinical Oncology Workforce Census, completed by cancer center leaders, which showed that nearly one in five U.K. cancer doctors are predicted to retire within five years. However, this rises to over one in four doctors who specialize in treating breast tumors.
The RCR also found that 10 cancer centers each rely on just one clinical oncologist for expertise in breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer.
"Cancer doctors are now leaving the workforce at an average age of 54, down from 59 just a year ago," the RCR stated.
