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<p>In June 2023, NHS England published the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which sets
out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver
a workforce that meets the changing needs of the population, over the next 15 years.
The plan recognises the need to increase numbers of allied health professionals (AHPs),
including therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers. To address this, we will increase
AHP training places from a little over 15,000 in 2021/22 to 17,000 by 2028/89, and
then 18,800 by 2031/32, a total increase of approximately 25%. National funding is
available to train 150 enhanced practice radiographers a year, to support the diagnosis
of cancer and other conditions.</p><p>We have already seen increases in the radiotherapy
workforce in NHS trusts and other care organisations in England. In November 2023,
there were 894 full-time equivalent (FTE) consultants working in the specialty of
clinical oncology, an increase of 40, or 4.6%, since November 2022 and 395, or 79.0%,
since November 2010. There are also 3,141 FTE therapeutic radiographers, an increase
of 133, or 4.4%, since November 2022 and 1,046, or 50.0%, since November 2010. We
are also focused on improving cancer treatment, and are supporting advances in radiotherapy,
such as using cutting-edge imaging and technology to help target radiation doses at
cancer cells more precisely.</p>
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