IPEM responds to Government announcement on expanding diagnostic scanning capacity

We welcome the Government’s announcement of investment in additional diagnostic scanning capacity to help detect cancer earlier and reduce waiting times.

However, investment in new technology must be matched by investment in the specialist workforce, research and innovation needed to deliver these services safely and effectively. Medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists play a vital role not only in the commissioning, optimisation and quality assurance of diagnostic technologies, but also in the research, development and evaluation of new technologies, helping translate innovation into improvements in patient care.

Mark Knight, President of IPEM, said:

“We welcome investment that will improve access to diagnostic services and support earlier cancer diagnosis. However, increasing scanning capacity is about more than providing new equipment. It requires the specialist scientific and engineering workforce to ensure that technology can be deployed safely, effectively and to its full potential. These professionals are also central to research and innovation, working across the NHS, academia and industry to develop, evaluate and introduce new technologies, including AI, into clinical practice. We already face significant workforce shortages across medical physics and clinical engineering. Expanding diagnostic services without addressing these gaps risks placing further pressure on overstretched teams and limiting our ability to realise the benefits of new technologies. Investment in technology, people and research must go hand in hand. A sustainable, long-term approach to workforce development and research capacity is essential if patients are to benefit fully from these advances.”