Consultations Update: November 2024

The RCR has submitted responses to three recent consultations of importance for our specialties.

In September, the government launched its first comprehensive spending review, which will set departmental spending limits for the year ahead. The Treasury accepted representations from organisations and the general public about what spending the government ought to prioritise. 

We submitted several costed proposals, including further investment in iRefer, the radiology and oncology workforce, and community diagnostic centres. Some of our proposals made it into the subsequent Autumn budget, including investment in radiotherapy machines and investment in digital and technology. A news piece summarising the RCR response was published on 31st October. We will continue to make the case for these vital investments at the next spending review, and monitor the government’s delivery of its Budget promises.

NICE and NHSE have jointly proposed a new, overarching process by which medical technologies will be assessed and approved for use in the NHS. This is a welcome development, since deploying innovative tools is often slowed down by the current, disjointed regulatory landscape. Our response addressed questions including the role played by Royal Colleges, the potential of the pathway to speed up deployment, and considerations of healthcare inequalities.

The PSC have developed a set of principles to govern patient safety across health and social care. The principles will not surprise anybody, but are helpfully clear and simple. Our consultation response focused on providing clear examples of how these principles would apply to radiology and oncology, and why they are so important in diagnostics and cancer care.