Medical staff shortage threatens care for pregnant women and cancer patients | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleElla PickoverSaturday 28 March 2026 01:58 GMTSonographers conduct essential ultrasound scans, which are indispensable for comprehensive pregnancy care (Alamy/PA)Experts warn that a critical and growing shortage of sonographers in England could lead to "life-threatening" delays for cancer patients and pregnant women.The Society of Radiographers (SoR) reports a significant vacancy rate of 24.2 per cent for sonographers across England, with some regions like the South East facing a 38.2 per cent shortfall.The situation is expected to worsen as approximately 7.6 per cent of sonographers plan to retire within the next year, further impacting essential ultrasound scans for pregnancy and cancer diagnosis.Staff shortages force hospitals to prioritise routine antenatal scans, which then negatively affects more urgent later foetal growth scans and other vital services.While the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the pressures and mentions expanding services, the SoR stresses the need for a comprehensive NHS workforce plan to address the long-term training and recruitment issues.In fullCancer patients and pregnant women face ‘life-threatening’ delays due to sonographer shortageThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in