The shortage is particularly affecting urgent, short-notice scans, according to multiple reports. In England, vacancy rates for sonographers have doubled from 12% to 24% since 2019, meaning one in four job posts are currently vacant. There are 1,821 sonographers in England, but shortages also extend to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Regional variations exist, with the North East and Yorkshire reporting 11% of sonographer posts vacant. For pregnant women, the crisis means most hospitals cannot provide same-day scans for those with concerns about their pregnancy, forcing them to wait to find out if there are issues. Some departments struggle to fit in patients needing emergency scans, and hospitals sometimes pull sonographers from other areas to maintain antenatal services, at the expense of those other services.
The high vacancy rate is very concerning, particularly as doctors are seeing more women with increasingly complex pregnancies.
According to BBC News - Health, Dr Jenny Barber described the high vacancy rate as very concerning, noting doctors are seeing more women with increasingly complex pregnancies. Root causes include increased demand for ultrasound in healthcare without adequate training to meet it, alongside retention issues. Sonographers have cited limited career progression, low pay, and better opportunities in the private sector as reasons for considering leaving the NHS.
The government is aware of the pressure facing ultrasound services in hospitals and is planning new services in local communities, a spokesperson confirmed. Standard ultrasound protocols offer pregnant women at least two scans: one at 11 to 14 weeks and another between 18 and 21 weeks. These scans estimate the delivery date, check baby growth, and look for health conditions affecting the brain, heart, and spinal cord, among other issues.
Some women need additional scans to monitor their baby's health and their own as pregnancy progresses. It remains unclear how many lives have been lost or health complications have occurred directly due to the delays, and the average wait time for urgent scans varies by region. Specific new community services and annual training numbers to meet demand have not been detailed, nor have measures to improve career progression and pay for sonographers been specified.