CANCER patients are waiting longer for assessment and treatment because hospital trusts have frozen staff recruitment to save money — while wasting hundreds of millions on outsourcing, according to a report released today.

The workforce census by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) found that Britain is facing a severe shortfall of specialists, including 1,962 consultant radiologists and 185 clinical oncologists.

The shortfall is the “main factor” behind the “persistent failure” to meet cancer waiting times targets and delays to reporting scan results, the RCR said.

More than a fifth of NHS trusts are trying to save cash by not filling posts, undermining efforts to cut waiting times and pick up early cancer cases, the census revealed.

Other trusts have had recruitment freezes imposed on them by national NHS bodies.

RCR said staff shortages also meant hospital trusts spend more on profiteering private health companies and estimated the national outsourcing bill at £276 million — enough to pay 2,690 consultants’ salaries.

RCR president Dr Katharine Halliday said: “Recruitment freezes are a false economy, and it is patients who will pay the price.

“We are facing severe workforce shortfalls and rising demand, so all these freezes will achieve is to force departments to spend more on costly alternatives.

“We urge the government to make sure our cancer and diagnostics services can recruit the staff they need.”

RCR said speedy diagnosis was especially important for cancer patients, with research suggesting a month’s delay to starting treatment increases the risk of death by 10 per cent.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer set out plans earlier this week for driving down the NHS waiting list and improving the availability of scans such as MRIs, colonoscopies and bone scans.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know that trusts are under pressure, which is why we announced a £26 billion investment in the health service at the Budget to help build a health service fit for the future, with the staff it needs to get patients seen on time.

“Our National Cancer Plan will also highlight how we plan to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster so more patients survive.”