Much has been said about returning to a “new normal”. Depending on your health or employment status, the last year and a bit certainly has been anything like “normal” for any or us. Many have lost loved ones, millions have been furloughed, others left in financial hardship, and so many more left suffering mental health issues.

Then there’s the sick and vulnerable who have been living in almost unbearable isolation – forced to shield because a Covid-19 infection is almost certain to result in death. There has even been talk of removing the word “normal” from the dictionary.

If you missed this news let me enlighten you: it came from Unilever, manufacturer of Dove and other big brands. In the interests of “inclusivity” it is removing “normal” from the description of 200 products. It seems everyone is required a to have a flaw appended to their hair or skin condition – anything but normal.

For cancer patients in the UK, however, there remains a push to return to normal – back to normal NHS screening and treatment programmes following the spike of Covid activity.

I witnessed this myself on Tuesday when I went for my chemotherapy – extra shift staff drafted in to deal with more patients than usual. Swifter referral from primary care, faster screening and diagnoses, and more rapid treatment has got to be very good news, doesn’t it?

Our NHS cancer consultants don’t think so. Prior to Covid the “normal” just wasn’t up to scratch – waiting-time targets were all too often breached due in part to a lack of trained staff and an urgent need for more scanners.

Workforce shortages in clinical radiology are increasing year on year, causing delayed diagnoses and lower-quality patient care, according to the annual census report from the Royal College of Radiologists.

Demand for CT and MRI scans is growing at 9 per cent a year, which is three times the speed of the radiologist workforce. In 2020, approximately 200 doctors qualified as radiology consultants – not enough to fill even half of the estimated 466 vacancies.

This is a UK issue but Scotland’s radiologists have also said the service is on “red alert” because of a shortage of trained doctors. Dr Grant Baxter, who chairs the Royal College of Radiologists in Scotland, has warned more training places are urgently needed. The Scottish Government has promised an additional 50 training places over the next five years. Dr Baxter said: “We are on red alert. There is absolutely no doubt about this. The Government needs to be bolder.”

Throughout this Covid crisis we have learned to value our NHS as our most precious asset – to be protected and resourced as our highest priority. Let’s not go back to normal – now is the time to be better than normal.

Ally McLaws is a freelance specialist in writing, business marketing and reputation management. Find out more and read previous columns at:

www.mclawsconsultancy.com