IPEM Welcomes National Cancer Plan and Calls for Stronger Focus on the Healthcare Science Workforce

On World Cancer Day, IPEM has welcomed the Government’s publication of the National Cancer, but warns that its ambitions cannot be delivered without explicit recognition and investment in the Healthcare Science workforce.

The Plan commits to increasing staffing across cancer services, but does not explicitly recognise the Healthcare Science workforce, despite its critical role in diagnosis, treatment planning  and radiotherapy delivery.  Without significant growth in its workforce, the Plan’s ambitions will be difficult to realise.

Whilst the major focus on increasing the use of technology such as AI is welcome, the Plan does not adequately cover the key issue of how the workforce will be trained and upskilled to implement these tools  safely and effectively.

IPEM Chief Executive, Gill Collinson, said:

“I warmly welcome the ambitions in the National Cancer Plan. Implementing these will significantly improve cancer care and survival rates and IPEM stands ready to support the Government and the NHS in that mission.

Medical Physicists, Clinical Engineers and Clinical Technologists are a key part of the cancer workforce. Without these highly skilled professionals, core services such as  imaging and radiotherapy simply cannot function. It was good see a renewed focus on modernising and upgrading radiotherapy equipment in the Plan.

However, it cannot be ignored that there is an urgent shortage of MPCE professionals, and that both the current and future workforce require properly funded training to maintain safe and effective services. We made this point strongly in our submissions to both the Cancer Plan and the forthcoming Workforce Plan.”

Commenting on the planned development of new Cancer Manuals, Ms Collison commented:

“IPEM’s members are a massive resource of expert knowledge, as shown by the leading edge scientific books and journals that we produce. It is vital that this expertise is at the heart of producing the new Cancer Manuals, to ensure they are scientifically robust, clinically relevant and deliverable in practice.”

IPEM welcomes the review of whether it would be beneficial to place the registration of sonographers onto a statutory footing, but reiterates its view that statutory registration should extend to all Clinical Technologists to uphold standards and protect patient safety.