""If somebody's coming in with concerns about their pregnancy, about their baby, they would like to be scanned that day, if possible. But that's not possible in most hospitals, meaning women have to wait to find out if there are any issues. That raises anxiety - and that's not good to have in pregnancy.""
""Some departments are struggling to fit in patients who need these emergency scans and sometimes hospitals have to pull in sonographers from other areas to keep the antenatal services going, at the expense of those other services.""
A significant shortage of NHS sonographers in England is causing delays in vital ultrasound scans for pregnant women and cancer patients. One in four sonographer positions are vacant, with greater shortages in the north west and south east. The Society of Radiographers indicates that demand for ultrasound services is rising, but training for new sonographers is insufficient. Urgent scans are particularly affected, leading to increased anxiety for expectant mothers. The government acknowledges the issue and is planning to enhance ultrasound services in local communities.
Read at www.bbc.com
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