NHS gave private firms record £216m to examine X-rays in 2024

Failure to recruit NHS radiologists is creating vicious cycle whereby doctors are drawn to private work, says Royal College of Radiologists

The NHS handed private firms a record £216m last year to examine X-rays and scans because hospitals have too few radiologists.

The amount of money NHS organisations across the UK are paying companies to interpret scans has doubled in five years as demand rises for diagnostic tests.