Establishing the size and configuration of the imaging support workforce: a census of national workforce data in England

Objectives:

The imaging support workforce is a key enabler in unlocking imaging capacity and capability, yet no evidence exists of the workforce size and configuration. This research provides the first comprehensive analysis of workforce data to explore the deployment of the support workforce within National Health Service (NHS) imaging services in England.

Methods:

Using a census methodology, an anonymized electronic staff record (ESR) data set extracted in December 2022 was analysed to identify support workers and their employment bandings at NHS Trust, regional and national (England) level. Support workforce proportions, median values, and Spearman’s rank correlations were calculated.

Results:

Analysis of 137 NHS Trusts, comprising 100% of acute trusts (n = 124) and specialist trusts with imaging services (n = 13), identified that the support workforce (pay bands 2-4) constitutes 23.6% of the imaging staff base. Ranking trusts into 3 categories based on the proportion of support workers in their imaging establishment, median values ranged from 30.7% (high) to 22.2% (medium) and 10.5% (low). Two opposing deployment models of band 2 and band 3 support workers were identified.

Conclusions:

Comprising almost one-quarter of the imaging establishment, models of deployment at bands 2 and 3 are highly variable. Assistant practitioners (band 4) are under-utilised, providing an opportunity to introduce innovations to address workforce demands.

Advances in knowledge:

This census is the first to provide evidence of the size and structure of the support workforce, the first step in enabling effective workforce transformation. Further research is required to explain the two opposing deployment models.