BY THE END of this week Raigmore Hospital in Inverness Scotland will lose its last radiologist, prompting the Royal College of Radiologists to declare a ‘red alert!’ highlighting an acute shortage across the entire country.
Radiologists play a key role in interpreting X-rays and scans, and are essential for Accident and Emergency departments to operate. Dr Grant Baxter, who chairs the Royal College of Radiologists in Scotland said: ‘We are on red alert. There is absolutely no doubt about this. ‘If we do not address this issue now, there simply won’t be a service in the next three, four, five years.
‘We need to start training more radiologists. We need to put in the IT systems. ‘The government need to be bolder, listen to what we’re saying, and increase the number of trainees. It is the key part of the solution.’
Dr Baxter said: ‘In many ways the dominos are beginning to fall. We’re at a crisis point. We’re at a precipice with one foot stepping off and this has major implications for patient care. ‘Ultimately, it will end up being a postcode lottery of who is available to get what procedure. ‘If you were in Highland and in a road traffic accident and presented with bleeding I would be worried. If you were in Highland and had presented with sepsis, uncontrollable infection, I would be worried.’
One patient, Mick Brett, has to make a 120 mile journey from his home on the Isle of Eigg to see his radiologist in Inverness. However, when Raigmore Hospital loses its last interventionist radiologist, patients will have to be transferred to Aberdeen or Dundee. Brett said: ‘Having the radiology department without the consultant is like having a garage without mechanics and everybody turning up to have their cars mended – it can’t be done. So, what is going to happen? It’s lunacy.’
