AQW 30096/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 02/09/2025
Answered On Date: 17/09/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) what actions are being taken to address workforce shortages in diagnostic specialities, including radiology; and (ii) how this is being factored into long-term workforce planning.


Answer:
Health and Social Care Trusts are responsible for ensuring sufficient staffing to provide those services commissioned from them by my Department. As employers they carry out day to day, operational workforce planning, including vacancy management, recruitment and retention.
Long term, strategic workforce planning is led by my Department, in partnership with relevant stakeholders in health and social care. Diagnostic professions are included in both operational and strategic workforce planning.
Regarding pathology, the Northern Ireland Regional Strategic Workforce Review in Pathology Services was published February 2025. Its aim is to provide a high-level picture of the current workforce and consider future requirements. Implementation of the Review’s 12 recommendations will depend on a number of factors, including availability of resources. A Regional Implementation Board has been established and tasked with prioritising these recommendations going forward.
In terms of clinical radiology, my Department has responded to increasing demand by expanding commissioned medical specialty training places from 37 (2015/16) to 55 places (2025/26) – a 49% increase.
Diagnostic radiographers are also a key part of the imaging workforce. There has been progress in the last few years in securing additional funding to expand the number of diagnostic radiography training places within Ulster University, from 48 (2017/18) to 94 places – a 96% increase. This was secured following a workforce gap analysis, which included current and future predicted requirements for diagnostic radiography within the region.
Nevertheless, the imaging workforce in Northern Ireland continues to be constrained by insufficient numbers. A costed workforce plan for imaging services has been developed, which outlines requirements to bring training within imaging teams up to date over three to five years. However, currently this remains unfunded within the context of the known deficiencies in my budgetary allocation.
Plans are underway for a multi-professional regional Imaging Academy. This will significantly increase HSC imaging capacity, by providing a continuous supply of locally trained consultant radiologists and advanced radiographer practitioners to address increasing demand for imaging investigations and reduce reliance on costly outsourcing. While this is a priority area for the Department, progress remains subject to business case approval and the identification of additional recurrent funding.