SCANS of NHS Scotland patients have been sent as far away as Australia for analysis by private companies amid a shortage of radiologists.
In total over 900,000 X-ray, MRI and CT scans have been sent to teleradiology or commercial imaging companies for analysis since 2018-19, at a cost of nearly £30 million to the NHS, according to figures released to the Scottish Conservatives under freedom of information.
In 2022/23 so far, at least 141,341 scans have already been sent to private companies.
In 2018/19, the yearly spend was £5,8m. In 2021/22, this had increased nearly 37 per cent to £7.96m.
READ MORE: Scotland's radiologist shortfall set to hit 30 per cent by 2026
Since 2018/19, NHS Borders has sent nearly one in five of its scans to TMC, a commercial imaging firm based in Barcelona and Australia, at a cost of nearly £468,000.
Analysis from the Royal College of Radiologists has found that Scotland’s NHS needs more than 100 additional consultant radiologists than it currently employs to meet demand, with the shortfall forecast to increase to 189 by 2026.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “I’ve previously raised examples of Scottish patients being sent down south for NHS treatment because they can’t get it in Scotland.
"But we’ve now learned that half a million pounds of taxpayers’ money has been spent sending thousands of vital medical scans abroad – some as far afield as Australia.
“Sending scans to private companies on another continent is not just expensive, it’s embarrassing."
Speaking during FMQ's, Mr Ross also challenged the First Minister over delayed discharge, which had reached the highest level on record by September when more than 1,800 hospital beds a day were being lost to patients well enough to leave.
He said: “Patients are taking up beds in our hospitals at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds when they should be able to leave, and at a time when our NHS can least afford it.
“But the problems are not confined to our hospitals. We've seen reports of a pensioner in Musselburgh who had to phone her GP 120 times before she got through.
"The pensioner said it was the first time in her life she felt she didn’t have proper medical care.
“Whether the First Minister wants to admit it or not, Scotland’s NHS is in crisis at every level.
“Patient scans are being sent abroad, waiting lists are at record levels, the situation at accident and emergency is the most critical it has ever been and delayed discharge is plaguing our hospitals worse than ever before.”
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Nicola Sturgeon said the NHS would always take steps to ensure the speediest diagnosis possible, and that despite Brexit and a global shortage of radiologists the percentage of consultants in Scotland has increased.
Official NHS statistics show that the number of clinical radiologists has increased by headcount from 400 to 562 over the past decade, or by 42% whole-time equivalent once adjusting for part-time working.
"The service is under significant pressure," said Ms Sturgeon, but the Scottish Government is investing more than £100m in care at home.
She added: "Despite these pressures though, the average bed days occupied by delay now is similar to the levels pre-Covid."
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