NHS Wales spends more than £15.5 million on agency radiography staff

NHS Wales is facing mounting pressure in diagnostic imaging services, with rising agency staffing costs and an ageing radiography workforce highlighting long-term risks to patient care, according to new research from the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Radiographers are the professionals who perform X-rays, CT, MRI and ultrasound scans — tests that are fundamental to emergency medicine, cancer diagnosis, trauma care and elective surgery. Without adequate radiography staffing, patient pathways across the NHS slow down, delaying diagnosis and treatment.

Over the past five years, Welsh health boards have spent more than £15.5 million on agency radiographers, with annual spending almost doubling between 2020/21 and 2023/24. At the same time, more than a quarter of radiographers in Wales are aged over 50, with over one in ten already over 55.

Despite relatively low reported vacancy rates, several health boards are increasingly relying on agency staff. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board alone spent over £8.1 million on agency radiographers during the period covered by the FOI.

Workforce data suggests the situation may worsen. In some areas, nearly half of radiographers are approaching retirement age, raising the risk that experienced staff could leave faster than they can be replaced, increasing reliance on costly temporary staffing.

With diagnostic imaging central to timely diagnosis and treatment, the combined impact of rising agency costs and an ageing workforce raises serious questions about long-term workforce planning and patient access to care in NHS Wales.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

“Radiographers are absolutely vital to the NHS. From diagnosing cancer to treating people in A&E, the vast majority of patient journeys depend on timely access to scans.

“These figures show a system increasingly relying on expensive agency staff while failing to plan properly for the future workforce. That is not fair on patients, and it is not fair on staff who are already under huge pressure.

“The Welsh Labour Government must take urgent action to improve recruitment and retention, support experienced staff to stay in the workforce for longer, and ensure transparent reporting of agency spending. Without a long-term plan, patients will continue to face delays and the NHS will continue to pay the price.”

ENDS