A CHRONIC shortage of specialist radiographers operating ultrasound scans is stretching the service to near-breaking point, experts have warned.

The professional body has now called for the Government to develop a Scotland-wide strategy to tackle the problem, which has left some patients having to travel hundreds of miles for a scan.

The Society and College of Radiographers (SCOR) is growing increasingly concerned about the delays patients are being forced to endure as hospitals across Scotland struggle to deal with dozens of vacancies.

At the end of last year there were the equivalent of 36 full-time vacancies for diagnostic radio-graphers in Scotland, many of them sonographer posts.

The problem was highlighted last week following an outcry over the lack of suitably qualified sonographers in Fort William, which has left pregnant women having to travel to Inverness for scans since last June.

For some this could mean a round trip of nearly 300 miles and six hours – a journey that would have to be repeated frequently if there were complications with the pregnancy.

However, it is not just Scotland that is suffering. A UK-wide survey for the professional body published a little over a year ago found almost half the hospitals surveyed had vacancies, many lasting more than six months.

Elizabeth Stow, SCOR's national officer for Scotland, said: "It is not just a problem in Scotland or the UK, it is worldwide. Sonographers are leaving the UK all the time to go and fill the many posts that are vacant abroad. So the service really is at near-breaking point."

She said there was no point in just leaving it to individual health boards to advertise, which many do in vain month after month.

"There has to be a pan-Scotland strategy developed to train, retrain and retain sonographers.Only the Scottish Government can do this," she said.

New national protocols for the likes of strokes and maternity have increased workload pressures.

SCOR says it means sonographers are finding it difficult to meet service demand, look after their own safety in the workplace adequately and undertake continuous professional development activities. The physical nature of the sonographer's work leads to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including repetitive strain injury (RSI). Studies have found more than 80% suffering some form of MSDs, while around 20% of sonographers reportedly left the profession due to persistent discomfort.

Last month, members of the Ultrasound Advisory Committee at Glasgow Caledonian University wrote to the Scottish Government outlining the problem. They said that statistics showed there was a year-on-year increase in referrals of at least 5%, which showed no signs of abating.

The letter said: "There has long been a national shortage of qualified sonographers, resulting in many departments relying on expensive agency staff. Staff shortages are due in part to natural wastage but also to 'frozen' posts, sickness and maternity leave."

While some training has taken place over the years, it has been notoriously difficult to fund that training, they said. "In addition, repetitive strain injury in the sonography population is an issue which appears to be well recognised and on the increase."

Ms Stow said there were various factors contributing to an increase in the number of sonographers taking early retirement, reducing their hours of work or leaving the service completely.

"The current numbers of sonographers in training are barely keeping up with wastage and there is little evidence of increased training activity, even though the demand is increasing all the time.

"For example, there is now pressing demand for sonographer training time due to advances in musculoskeletal, rheumatology and accident and emergency 'FAST' scanning."

She said these areas also required education, development and training and appropriately trained mentors. "There is also evidence that there is a shortage of room space and/or equipment to perform ultrasound examinations" she added.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are working with health boards to establish an expert group to determine how highly specialised NHS staff, such as sonographers, are sustainably trained, recruited and retained to best meet the needs of patients."