Current status of radiologist staffing, education and training in the 27 EU Member States.

Abstract

This second article of a series of three publications summarises the radiologist situation regarding staffing as well as education and training as analysed by The European Union Radiation, Education, Staffing & Training (EU-REST) study. Despite certain limitations posed by the dependence on survey responses, the results demonstrate that, for both workforce and education/training, considerable heterogeneity exists between Member States, which will impact healthcare delivery and the level of knowledge, skills, and competencies available. The number of radiologists per million inhabitants varies from 51 to 270. 16 out of 27 Member States have Radiologist numbers below the EU average of 127, and 45% of Radiologists in Europe are over 51 years old (in 2022). Clear guidance and metrics about workforce availability for the professions involved in the use of ionising radiation are needed to secure and improve the quality of healthcare delivery in Europe. Although the main scope of the EU-REST study was education, training and workforce availability, an attempt was made to characterise the numbers of pieces of medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Clear guidance and metrics on radiologist staffing and education/training are needed to address workforce shortages and harmonise education and training standards across the EU-27. KEY POINTS: The article describes the radiologist situation regarding staffing and radiation protection education in the EU Member States. Radiologist staffing and training vary considerably across the EU-27. The fact that more than half of the EU Member States have radiologist numbers below the EU average, and the large proportion of radiologists over 51 years of age, show that clear guidance and metrics are needed to ensure future quality of radiological care.