NHS Confederation warns of the impact ahead of the radiographers walkout

Ahead of the radiographers walkout, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said:

“Leaders will be incredibly concerned about the impact this wave of industrial action will have on patients especially the impact that the radiographers walk out could have on people living with cancer waiting for crucial diagnosis and follow up appointments.

“We know that with radiographers striking, thousands of patients are at risk of not getting the scans and x-rays they need, this will include non-urgent activity such as some fracture clinics and GP walk ins also being cancelled and rebooked due to staff shortages with patients asked to come back for their x-ray on another day if it is not urgent.

“We know that these rearranged and cancelled appointments will contribute to the backlogs and could add further delays for elective recovery and could also potentially increase waits in emergency departments and increase length of stay in hospital.

“With cancelled operations and appointments already over 1 million and rising and many patients are having their procedures cancelled multiple times, this is a dark time for both the service and the people who rely on it.

“We urge the government and the unions to get back round the table as soon as possible.”