{"id":26410,"date":"2026-03-28T11:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/03\/28\/pregnant-women-and-cancer-patients-are-at-risk-due-to-shortage-of-sonographers-uk-news\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:14:23","slug":"pregnant-women-and-cancer-patients-are-at-risk-due-to-shortage-of-sonographers-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/03\/28\/pregnant-women-and-cancer-patients-are-at-risk-due-to-shortage-of-sonographers-uk-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Pregnant women and cancer patients are at risk due to shortage of sonographers. uk news"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Pregnant women and cancer patients could face “life-threatening” delays due to a growing shortage of sonographers, experts have warned.<\/p>\n

According to the Society of Radiographers (SOR), the vacancy rate for sonographers across England is 24.2%, rising to 38.2% in some areas.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the census found that one in every 13 (7.6%) sonographers are planning to retire within the next year.<\/p>\n

Sonographers perform ultrasound scans that are essential for pregnancy care and are also used for diagnosis. cancer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pregnant women undergo scans when their baby is 12 weeks old and then again at 20 weeks.<\/p>\n

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\n Ultrasound is used to monitor pregnancy. Photo: iStock
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Katie Thompson, SoR president and a practicing sonographer, said the shortage was forcing hospitals to call in physicians from other areas to keep prenatal services running “at the expense of those other services.”<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitals try their best to conduct three-month and five-month antenatal checkups on time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when there are not enough staff, prioritizing those scans impacts subsequent fetal development scans, which in some cases need to be done within 24 or 36 hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cDepartments struggle to fit patients who need these emergency scans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Thompson said ultrasound also plays a role in cancer diagnosis, with a patient’s “first check” often being an ultrasound.<\/p>\n

Follow-up care after treatment \u201coften takes the form of regular ultrasound scans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

“The government’s recent cancer plan calls for increasing testing and reducing waiting lists,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut sonography is one of the starting points for people with cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the current workforce shortage, it is going to be very difficult to reduce wait times.<\/p>\n

“And if the cancer is not picked up when it should be picked up, it can have an impact on the patient’s outcome.”<\/p>\n

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\n \"Ultrasound\n <\/div>
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\n Ultrasound is also used during cancer diagnosis and treatment. Photo: iStock
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The highest vacancy rates for sonographers were in the South East of England, where almost two in five positions are vacant (38.2%).<\/p>\n

There is also a 34.6% shortage in London, and three in 10 vacancies in the North West (30%).<\/p>\n

The SOR said the North East and Yorkshire had a lower reduction of 11%.<\/p>\n

Read more:
‘Appalling’ report reveals meningitis death toll in UK
BMI system may ‘misclassify’ people as overweight or obese<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms Thompson said it “takes a long time” to train new sonographers, so the numbers can’t be increased too quickly.<\/p>\n

“The fact that numbers have declined shows that the number of sonographers being trained is not keeping pace with demand and is not sustained over the long term,” he said.<\/p>\n

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