The European Congress of Radiology session on workforce planning in radiology addressed critical challenges in staffing shortages, outdated training and workforce estimation across the EU. Experts presented findings from the EU REST study, offering data-driven methodologies and policy recommendations to align workforce capacity with increasing imaging demands.
EU REST Study: European Commission’s Perspective
Filip Maksan outlined the EU REST study, which examines training needs in ionising radiation professions as part of the Samira Action Plan. The study, spanning six medical professions, highlighted workforce shortages, outdated curricula and stagnating staffing levels. He stressed that “to maintain and to enhance the quality and safety of patient care will be only possible with an adequate workforce.” The study proposed a repeatable methodology for workforce planning, including better trainee remuneration and recognition of medical physics experts and radiographers. Maksan concluded that while workforce challenges have long been recognised, the study “provides a great and comprehensive input to the identification and resolution of these problems.”
Workforce Availability and Education Gaps
Adrian Brady shared findings from a two-year EU-funded project assessing workforce availability and training. Survey responses from all EU member states revealed significant radiologist shortages—16 of 27 countries had fewer than 127 radiologists per million inhabitants. Additionally, 19% of radiologists were set to retire within five years. Training duration varied from four to six years, with inconsistent radiation protection education. Brady highlighted that “there is no agreed definition anywhere of the number of examinations needed for a given population, the amount of equipment needed… the number of radiologists, or the amount of work that should be done by a radiologist.” He stressed the need for scalable workforce planning frameworks.
Approaches to Workforce Calculation
Boris Brkljačić discussed radiology workforce planning challenges, citing increased imaging complexity and healthcare system disparities. He noted that “reproducible and accurate methods to calculate radiologists' workload are complex and they vary reflecting size and type of practice.” Traditional benchmarks, he argued, are outdated due to technological advancements. He emphasised the need for dynamic, data-driven planning to address rising imaging demands and AI’s growing role in radiology.
Radiography Workforce Planning
Graciano Paulo highlighted the lack of a centralised EU workforce registry, leading to inconsistencies in radiography workforce data. He stressed that radiographers are the “heart of clinical imaging and radiotherapy departments” but face disparities in training standards and workforce shortages. He warned that “we are lying with numbers,” calling for harmonisation of workforce calculations, integrating clinical and non-clinical duties and urging the EU to publish centralised workforce data. “If we fail to have this in Europe, we will fail permanently.”
Nuclear Medicine Workforce Estimation
François Jamar addressed inconsistencies in nuclear medicine workforce data, noting gaps in FTE counts, gender mix and retirements. While Belgium appeared to have the highest number of nuclear medicine physicians per capita, discrepancies in reporting revealed a lower actual number. Jamar emphasised that “the existing data on nuclear medicine workforce is incomplete, sometimes inconsistent or scarce and efforts should be engaged to establish a robust European registry of nuclear medicine FTEs.” He called for better forecasting, stating, “Other countries should make that kind of effort to identify what are the needs for the future. Let’s say 2030 from now.”
ESR’s Proposed Radiology Workforce Model
Christian Loewe introduced the ESR’s new workforce estimation model, which moves beyond population-based calculations. His approach considers operating hours of radiology machines and non-reporting duties such as preparation and multidisciplinary meetings. “For the very first time, the entities have approached really as a radiological service, same as CT or MR,” he noted. The model incorporates a conversion factor for different imaging modalities and integrates training time, providing a flexible, scalable benchmark for workforce planning across Europe. Loewe emphasised that “this ESR approach incorporated for the very first time even the non-reporting duties into the workforce calculation.”
The session underscored the urgent need for standardised, data-driven workforce planning in radiology. Experts highlighted workforce shortages, training inconsistencies and outdated estimation models, advocating for improved methodologies and centralised data collection. Addressing these challenges will be crucial to ensuring sustainable radiology services across Europe.
Source & Image Credit: ECR 2025
